ON THE PEEPING FROG. 317 



evidently found a feast here. Conspicuous among the birds' tracks are those of the crow, 

 whose gait finds expression in the inward-turning impress of the toes ; and occasionally, 

 sunk in the soft mud, are the large, well-defined tracks of the heron. It is not rare to find 

 the footprints and borings of the woodcock here, the toe-marks almost at right angles, and 

 the soft earth punctured by the probing of the bird's long bill for worms. Those tadpoles 

 of Pickering <ii escaping this fate are constantly being lessened in number by their enemies, 

 the newts, water beetles, and the larvae of the beetles and dragon flies. On two occasions 

 I have seen a spider (Dolomedes sexpunctatus) run along the surface of the water, suddenly 

 dive, seize, and drag out on land a full-grown tadpole of this species ; the spider coming out 

 dry, evidently as much at home in as out of the water. 



The young frogs on leaving the water may be found for a short time on and under the 

 growth of herbage that has sprung up about it ; they are exquisite in form and agile in 

 movement. The quiver of a small leaf and dip of a slender grass blade, as the frog leaves 

 the one to spring to the other, frequently betray their presence, but their object is 

 evidently to seek cool, damp, shaded places. When numerous, they sound on the dry, dead 

 leaves as they spring out of your way, like the patter of the first rain drops in a summer 

 shower. 



By the first week of June, and in some seasons by the third week of May, the period of 

 egg-laying is over, and all the adult frogs have become silent and left the water, the con- 

 certs gradually diminishing in volume as the musicians grow fewer in numbers. I have 

 never heard them give voice in July, and have rarely found the adults in that month. 

 With the muggy days of August piping is resumed, but it is not general as in spring or sus- 

 tained with such volume and energy ; the " peeps " frequently mingle almost unnoticed 

 with the chirp and murmur of birds and insects. At this season I have found the frogs, not 

 only on the ground, and on the ferns, and bushes in the wood, but in the vegetable garden, 

 and on the lilac bushes, apple, pear, and elm trees, evidently in search of insects. 



One day I happened on one of these little frogs on the grey limb of an apple tree ; he 

 was motionless, with the exception of the constantly palpitating throat ; his hands and feet 

 were compactly folded under him, only their outer edges coming in contact with the sur- 

 face on which he rested ; the same sensitiveness in regard to the disks is shown with the 

 peeping frogs as may be observed with the tree toad ; the eyes were depressed, pupil con- 

 tracted, and the frog seemed to me to be asleep, till suddenly his attention was arrested ; 

 the eyes were raised, the pupil dilated, the narrowed iris glowed ; the hands and feet sought 

 the limb, the toes of the feet twitched nervously, and with startling quickness the sure 

 leap was made ; the gauzy wings of some insect, a mosquito I thought, protruding from 

 between the closed lips explained the movement. Although following the direction of the 

 frog's earnest gaze I could not detect the object which attracted him. There was a pause 

 of a minute or more before the insect was swallowed. Then the frog tucked hands and 

 feet under him and to all appearance became wholly oblivious to everything about him. 

 In common with the other frogs and toads found here, the tongue, as has been often de- 

 scribed, is free behind and fastened down by the front edge to the inner rim of the under 

 jaw ; it is heart-shaped and capable of some distension. When food is taken the free edge 

 is thrown forward and drawn back so instantaneously, that the eye can seldom follow the 

 movement, or perceive what has been captured. 



