FROGS AND BIRDS 99 



outside of the larger plants. Make an artificial pond in a 

 small milk-pan, or a large basin or earthenware dish. Put 

 some of the mud and stones and small plants in the dish, 

 arranging all to imitate the pond, that is, so it will be shallow 

 on one side and deeper on the other. Take a small pail of 

 clear water from the pond to the schoolhouse and pour it 

 into the dish to complete the artificial pond. The next 



FIG. 42. Tadpoles. (Photograph from life by Cherry Kearton; per- 

 mission of Cassell and Co.) 



morning when all the mud has settled and the water is clear, 

 put thirty or forty of the little tadpoles which hatched from 

 the egg string, into the artificial pond. Keep this in the 

 light, but not very long at any one time in the sun. . . 



"One must not attempt to raise too many tadpoles in 

 the artificial pond or there will not be enough food, and 

 all will be half-starved. While there may be thousands 

 of tadpoles in a natural pond, it will be readily seen that, 

 compared with the amount of water present, there are 

 really rather few. 



"Every week, or oftener, a little of the mud, and perhaps 



