242 ANOURA. — RANADiE. 



with which we are most familiar, but some foreign 

 species utter various other discordant noises, such 

 as shrieks long-protracted, and intolerably shrill 

 and piercing, whistlings, snorings as of a person in 

 oppressed slumber, or the deep bellowings of a bull. 

 In temperate countries they become torpid 

 during winter, retiring on the approach of cold 

 weather into the mud at the bottom of ponds, 

 where multitudes huddle together in numerous 

 assemblages. The mild air of spring awakens 

 them from their death -like sleep, when they 

 separate, emerge from their retreat^ and soon 

 make the shores of our waters vocal, if not 

 musical, with the pertinacity of their sexual call. 



Genus Ran a, (Linn.) 



The skin in this, the t3rpical genus, is smooth ; 

 the hinder legs are very long, muscular, and formed 

 for leaping ; the toes of the hind feet are connected 

 by a web ; there are teeth on the upper jaw, and 

 on the palate ; the gape is very wide ; the tongue, 

 broad, soft, notched at the extremity, is folded 

 back, the anterior portion lying ordinarily on the 

 posterior ; the eyes are brilliant and prominent, 

 and elevated above the forehead. 



The Common Frog {liana temporaria, Linn.) 

 is familiar to every child. Every rivulet and 

 river, every lake, pond, and pool, every stagnant 

 or running ditch by the road-side, and even the 

 little collections of rain-water that lie in the 

 gravel-pits of the common, are pretty sure to 

 be tenanted by this vigorous and graceful swim- 

 mer, or by its black and wriggling tadpoles. 

 When full grown the Frog is rather more than 



