THE COMMON FROG. 93 



in bulk without any material change in form. If 

 carefully watched, however, little tubercles or buds 

 will be observed in the course of time to make their 

 appearance both towards the upper and lower 

 portions, or rather forwards and backwards on the 

 body ; these are the rudimentary legs. 



As the latter grow and manifest themselves, the 

 tail, which is in danger of becoming a useless 

 appendage, is gradually absorbed, until the little 

 " froggies," with their stumps of tails, cease to be 

 " tadpoles," and merge into veritable little " frogs." 

 It is very usual for persons living in towns to 

 patronize tadpoles in their aquaria ; but so many 

 are their misfortunes that a colony of town-bred 

 frogs seldom gladdens the eyes of a Cockney. The 

 tadpoles have a cannibal propensity to kill and eat 

 each other, as their limbs begin to bud. " I placed 

 in a large glass globe of water several tadpoles," 

 says Mr. Bell, " more or less nearly approaching 

 their final change, and I observed that almost as 

 soon as one had acquired limbs it was found dead at 

 the bottom of the water, and the remaining tadpoles 

 feeding upon it. This took place with all of them 

 successively excepting the last; which lived on to 

 complete its change, and for a considerable time 

 afterwards." Whilst in the earlier stages, at least, 

 of their existence, the green confervoid vegetable 

 deposit of the tank appears to be the legitimate 



