( 229 ) 



nothing in them except globules ; and upon opening a Tadpole, 

 which of itfelf crept out of the jelly which had contained it, and 

 was fwiniming in the M^ater, and in which, when it was entire, I 

 could diftinguifli the back bone, I could not, when diflected, dif- 

 eover any bowels, much lefs arteries or mufcles. 



Hereupon it feemed to me, that the whole body of this animal, 

 called a Tadpole, conlifted of no other particles than globules, and 

 efpecially the belly of it, which was of a yellowilh colour, and 

 feemed to be made of that part of the egg which had continued 

 yellow. This feemed ftrange to me, that in fo large an animal 

 which I had killed and dilfedled, I could not difcover any veflels or 

 fibres. 



After all my obfei-vations refpecfting thefe eggs, I could draw no 

 other conclufion, than that the glutinous matter or jelly, encom- 

 paiTmg the eggs, was only formed by nature for the prefervation of 

 the egg when depotited in it, as the Ihells of birds' eggs cover and 

 protect the whites and yolks. 



And as we fee, that the whole fubftance of a hen's egg paHes 

 into and becomes part of the chick, (except the fliell and the mem- 

 brane within it, which are deligned for the prefei-vation of that fub- 

 llance), fo in the prefent cafe, the whole of the egg pafles into the 

 body of the Frog or Tadpole, and the vifcous and gluey matter, which 

 furrounded the egg, remains after the young has left it. So that 

 we may fay of the eggs of Frogs, what I have faid of the eggs of 

 birds, namely, that they are deligned to fupport and nourifh the 

 young creature until it is able to provide for itfelf 



When I obferved that the vifcous matter or jelly I have men- 

 tioned, contained in it multitudes of air bubbles, I concluded the 

 ufe of them was, that where there were no leaves floating on the 

 furface of the water to which the eggs could adhere, thefe air bub- 

 bles might make the jelly float on the water, whereby the eggs might 

 receive the warmth of the fun, and thereby, as I may fay, be 

 hatched. 



