FOOD AND FEEDING HABITS 17 



It is surprising what long fasts frogs are capable 

 of, if the numerous records are to be trusted. There 

 is no doubt that at certain seasons while tliey have 

 not yet gone into the winter sleep, some frogs cease 

 to eat — at least to any great extent — perhaps alto- 

 gether. Of course when torpid in winter they do not 

 eat. Dr. Abbott records that he kept a cricket-frog 

 without food for one hundred days. At the end of 

 seventy -live days it had lost only forty-four grains in 

 weight. The author kept a common tree-toad in a 

 bottle properly ventilated, one w^inter. It was al- 

 ways active when roused, but it could never be in- 

 duced to eat. It finally died after many weeks, from 

 what cause could not be seen, but no loss of flesh 

 seemed evident. 



In this connection it is proper to notice the won- 

 derful stories we hear about amphibians being found 

 in the hearts, of trees, crevices of rocks, etc. — places 

 not having any opening large enough, at the time 

 of discovery, for the creature to crawl through. It 

 would seem that it had been there a long time, and 

 the query is double. How did it get there and what 

 has it lived on ? Scientists are not much inclined to 

 believe that such things have happened. But it is 

 always best to see upon what such assertions are 

 based. It is recorded that a frocr has lived a vear 

 enclosed in a plaster cavity ; and Semper — a great 

 naturalist — notes a definite instance of this kind 

 where a Triton (a tailed form) was found enclosed in 

 a cavity of rock from which an opening of one-twenty- 

 fifth of an inch onlv in diameter and one-sixth of an 



