The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-05-08
Nine Species Appear and Raise
Their Voices At About This
Time of Year
EACH EMITS A NOTE
PECULIAR TO ITSELF
They Are Seldom Caught In Act
Of Singing Except During
Night Hours

the current issue of the Brooklyn Mu-
scum Quarterly. The article describes
nine species OF these heralds OF spring
and says there probably are others,
for no section OF the country com.
bines more varied and favorable nat
ural conditions for this form OF lie.
Primeval forest, plains, numerous
streams, wids stretches or marsh ana
bays and estuaries, in which Long
Island abounds, make a paradise for
frogs and toads, and the deyastations
in so-called improvements by ,man
are the only factors which limit the
variety OF living things on the island.
Most people know frogs and toads
by their songs, Dr. Oyerton says, The
first of them TO raise its voice Is the
spring pepper, tiny tree frog, scarce
ly more than an inch long. with
climbing pads on the ends of it's toes.
It's color is brown, and when sitting
on tussock OF marsh grass 1t looks
IKE a miniature Negro baby ready for
swim.
It's voice iS-a shrill peep or. whistle,
!. EaReat ~ ga ~ ,---,-ey .s5a.,ess .sa.e
e second. When AhdIit To- sing VI ~.
dates its lungs yith air and distends
IFS throat into sat IA large Is It's
head, and then blows out the air
This is the method by which All frogs
and toads do their singing Only
males produce the sound, when full
grown and adult, and il Is a call for
mate. There is nothing in the COM
mon notion that the little or peeping
song is that OF the young, whose
voices grow with them. It is full.
grown song from the beginning
The shrill peppers are vocal
through the early spring until about
May !, when they settle down TO do
nestle peace and give way TO species
with harsh voices or prolonged whis-
ties or bass-viol notes. Each species
sings only through the breeding sea
son, although calls of old bachelors
or deserted SWANS may be heard ir
regularly through the summer.
All Long Island frogs and toads
hibernate Almost their first act on
emerging is to resort to water for
breeding and laying eggs. Common
toads are as expert swimmers ana
divers at that time as are any OF the
frogs. The succession OF sounds in
dicates the time OF awakening OF the
various species, each OF which has
song as distinctive as the call OF a
robin or a crow. Any person can
learn to distinguish the songs by lis
tening to their chorus in the marshes.
Ii is not so easy TO see the song
sters as to hear them. They have
keen eyes and are extremely wary in
daytime, but a strong light at night
dazzles them, and they do not seem
TO take alarm when Photographic
flash is set off close TO them. A sure
method OF seeing them in the act OF
singing is to 60 into the marsh with
a strong bicycle lamp and slowly APP
proach the source of sound, taking
care not to produce vibrations OF the
ground or water in stepping.
Frequently five species OF frogs and
toads may be heard singing in single
pool on a warm evening in May. The
first vocalist after the pepper sings
at an extremely low pitch, as II 1t
we're spelling "ker-rr-o-o-a-k' in deep
bass This is done by the leopard
frog. which swells out sac over each
shoulder 1t may be distinguished by
dark spots on its back and pure white
on all the under parts. II is common
in marshes. especially near the Great
South beach.
A warm spring day brings out the
wood frogs, which suddenly appear
in the woodland pools, swimming on
the surface and fighting among
themselves. The note OF the wood
frog is like the clucking of teamster
urging on his horses. 1t has an eX-
plosive character and low pitch A
chorus sounds like the cluckings mot
quackings) OF flock OF barnyard
ducks at feeding time These frogs
deposit their eggs and go back into
the woods within a very few days.
Common toads appear in April.
Their songs are low-pitched, harsh
whistles. lasting about two seconds
Heard close by. the sound seems to
be combination of groan and whis-
tie. This Long Island toad differs
from the toad OF the main land, which
emits a gentle. sweet note, lasting
about 80 seconds. Tadpoles OF COM
mon toads become adult about July 4.
The young are extremely sensitive 10
dryness. They usually hide in damp
places. but a shower OF rain viii
bring them swarming over the roads
and paths near marshes, giving rise
10 the mistaken notion that they rain
down.
A toad widely distributed but sell
uOm seen Is the Spdu1-lOOtf NhiNh
appears suddenly in pools after hard
rain, quickly lays its eggs and disap-
pears. While in the water IL has a
call resembling the squawking OF a
rooster caught in the middle of the
night II burrows and has nocturnal
habits. The spade.foot sings while
sprawled on the surface of the water.
distending its throat into an enormous
white pouch, which hobs its head mp
while its hinder parts sink. AT the
end OF the song the head hobs down
and the hind legs come to the sur
face.
The common tree toad is due in May
and June. usually appearing Just be
fore rain, when IL swells its throat
into a pouch and trills and chirps.
Its chirping sounds like hen turkey
Colored people call the sound turkey
root" and ascribe II to the same pow.
trs with which they invest roots and
other forms OF black magic.
A low, snoring sound from the banks
OF pond is made by the pickerel
frog. spotted on top and yellow under
meath. which swells out its cheeks
while Il sings.
That species most frequently seen
alouo Dond hanks Il tho green frOg.