6 7 6 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



also thinks that the excellence of the system has been abundantly 

 proved by its success. To train great schools to govern themselves is 

 a task of great responsibility, and mistakes will occur, as in all human 

 government. He asserts that it would be easy to array a terrible 

 catalogue of abuses or failures in the opposite system. , 



A number of other letters, pro and con, have been published, 

 among them a card by Dr. Riddle, stating that the whole matter had 

 been referred to the Governing Body, then in session, for examina- 

 tion and action. The decision, which we have not yet seen, was 

 looked for with great interest when our correspondent wrote. It is 

 probable that this discussion will result in a modification of the moni- 

 torial system, but we do not look for its immediate abolition. It is too 

 characteristic of the English people. The National Teacher. 



-*- 



THE HOE1ED FROG. 



By FKANK BUCKLAND. 



IN July, 1872, a sensational paragraph went the rounds of the pa- 

 pers that a " horned frog " had ai-rived at the Zoological Gardens ; 

 so I went to see it, and here, kind reader, you have a portrait of this 

 celebrated animal. 



In the first place, any one can see that the little beast, though car- 

 rying horns, is not a frog at all, but a lizard. It rejoices in the name 

 of the " Crowned Tapayaxin " (Phrynosoma cornutum), from (ppvvog, 

 a toad, and oopa, a body. This is not a bad name when it is construed, 

 for it really is very Like a toad in general appearance. It belongs to a 

 family of Saurian reptiles (Agamidce), this species being widely dis- 

 tributed in Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America. Why Nature 

 has made these little creatures so hideous, as some would call them 

 though I call nothing hideous I do not know. The Moloch horridus 

 of Australia is also covered with spines, and looks even more formi- 

 dable than our friend the horned frog, and yet they are quite harmless, 

 and will hurt nothing but insects. If the fly in the picture is not 

 speedily off about his business, Mr. Horned Frog will snap him up be- 

 fore, as the Yankees say, " he knew what hurt him." Holland, the 

 civil and obliging keeper at the reptile-house at the Zoological, took 

 the horned frog out of his box, and, as he sat upon my arm, I made 

 notes about him. 



Imagine a large bug, about four inches long and two inches across, 

 with a tapering tail, which he can cock up after the manner of a scor- 

 pion, or the beetle known as the " devil's coach-horse," and you have 

 some idea of the " Crowned Tapayaxin." The body is very flat, 

 though, I believe, he can blow himself out quite fat if he likes, like the 



