BATRACHIANS OF THE VICINITY OF NEW YORK 189 



Most batrachians, particularly those species with a rough skin, 

 secrete a certain amount of this irritant.^ 



The Toad is protected by the characters just mentioned from 

 attack by most mammals and birds. The species of snakes, 

 however, that prey upon cold-blooded creatures, appear to 

 prefer toads to frogs. 



In its metamorphosis the Toad differs somewhat from the 

 frogs. It leaves its place of hibernation rather late, not until 

 warm weather has become established in the spring, when the 

 weird, drawn-out trill of the males is heard about rain pools and 

 shallow bodies of still water. The eggs are deposited in long 

 strings.^ After the strings have absorbed the required amount 

 of water through their transparent covering and lie upon the 

 bottom undergoing development. Each ^^^ measures about a 

 quarter of an inch in diameter. The tadpoles emerge from the 

 eggs after a period of eight to ten days from deposition. They 

 resemble minute leeches and cling for some hours to the leaves of 

 aquatic plants by means of small suckers on the lower surface 

 of the head. Within forty-eight hours they cease the clinging 

 stage and wriggle their way about by means of a rapidly de- 

 veloping, fin-like tail. Four days after hatching they are agile 

 swimmers and feed upon mossy growths of the pool. 



The writer has made the following obser\'ations upon growth 

 during the tadpole stage: 



May 3. Tadpoles hatched. Clinging stage Length, ^ inch 



4. Body more elongate; swimming feebly 



at frequent intervals 



5. Tail distinctly compressed 



6. Tail shows fin-like edges 



7. Tail fully developed; feeding 



12. Body assuming stout proportions 



1 7 . Color above jet black 



25. Tadpoles appear fully grown and cluster 



in masses in very shallow places " ly^g- inches 



' Among the local frogs the character named is strongly evidenced by the 

 Leopard Frog {Rana palustris). When handled, this species gives out a strong 

 odor. Few snakes will eat it. 



' The eggs of the frogs are deposited in masses. 



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