intain a definite pattern in the
sequence of the calls. One "dominant" individual would initiate a series
of calls, and others each in turn would take up the chorus.

Pairing takes place soon after the breeding aggregations are formed. On
the night of June 4, 1954, a clasping pair was captured and kept in the
laboratory in a large jar of water. This pair did not separate, and
spawning occurred between noon and 1:30 P. M. on June 5. When the newly
laid eggs were discovered at 1:30 P. M. most of them were in a surface
film. Some were attached to submerged leaves and a few rested on the
bottom. The pair was still joined, but the male was actually clasping
only part of the time, and as the frogs moved about in the water, it
became evident that they were adhering to each other by the areas of
skin contact, which were glued together by their dermal secretion. They
were unable to separate immediately, even when they struggled to do so.
They were observed for approximately 15 minutes before separation
occurred, and during this time they were moving about actively. As they
separated, the area of adhesion was discernible on the back of the
female. It was U-shaped, following the ridges of the ilia and the
sacrum.

On August 2, 1954, after a rain of 3.22 inches, the previously mentioned
funnel trap in the ditch had caught 31 ant-eating frogs. Water had
collected to a depth of several inches in the depression where the trap
was situated. A dozen of the trapped frogs were clasping pairs. These
frogs struggled vigorously as they were removed from the traps, handled
and marked. As a result most of the clasping males were separated from
the females. In handling those of each pair I noticed that they were
glued together by dermal secretions, as were those of the pair observed
on June 5. The areas of adhesion were of similar shape and location in
the different pairs, and included the U-shaped ridge of the female's
back and the male's belly, and the inner surfaces of the male's forelegs
with the corresponding surfaces of the female's sides where the male
clasped.

This adhesion of the members of a pair during mating may be a normal
occurrence. The copious secretion of the dermal glands is of especially
glutinous quality in _Gastrophryne_. The adhesion of members of a pair
may have survival value. These small frogs are especially shy, and in
the breeding ponds they respond to any disturbance with vigorous
attempts to escape and hide. Und