Miscdlaiiy 199 



referring to the rrocccdings of the Academy for October 1846, pp. 107-8. 

 This notice had attracted the attention of the German helminthologists, as 

 proved by reference to Diesing's " Systema Helminthum," vol. ii, p. 114, and 

 Leuckart " Untersuchungen in Tricliina spiralis," p. 618. The circum- 

 stances under which the trichina had been first detected in pork was on 

 an occasion when Dr Leidy had dined on part of the infested meat. While 

 eating a slice of pork he noticed some minute specks, which recalled to 

 mind the trichina spots seen in the muscles of a human subject only a few days 

 previously. Preserving the remainder of the slice, on examination of it micros- 

 copically he found it full of trichina spiralis, but the parasites were all dead 

 from the heat of cooking. — Proceedings of the Academy of N'atural Sciences of 

 Philadelphia, 1 866, p. 9. 



Predaceous Habits of Indian Frogs. — In a memorandum 

 published in the recent collection of the Palseontological Memoirs of the late Dr 

 Falconer, the following fact on this subject is recorded, on the authority of Mr 

 J. Wright. About the end of August, i860, Wright one evening was seated 

 outside the house on the terrace, and saw one of the large yellow rain frogs of 

 Hindostan quietly crouched under a raised piece of timber, close to the terrace. 

 There happened to be a quantity of chaff and grain strewed over the adjoining 

 grcjund near the terrace, left there after feeding fowls. Several sparrows were 

 attracted by the sight of the grain, and settled upon the spot. The movements 

 of the birds, hopping about and picking the grain, soon appeared to arouse the 

 attention of the frog, who evinced his interest by raising himself on his hind 

 legs and vibrating his body rapidly backwards and forwards, without leaving 

 his cover under the wood. At length one of the sparrows hopped to within 

 four or five feet of him, when in one spring he threw himself most accurately 

 on the bird, and seized it in an instant, taking the head, neck, and body at once 

 into his gape. He then sprang back to his cover, and was vigorously en- 

 deavouring to swallow the bird, when Wright, who was attentively watching 

 what was going on, got up, pushed the frog into a corner, where he was able 

 to lay hold of the reptile, and seizing the sparrow's legs, compelled the frog, 

 after a determined resistance, to disgorge his prey. The sparrow had a spark 

 of life remaining when drawn out. The correctness of these particulars is 

 hereunder authenticated by Wright. " The above statement is strictly coirect." 

 A similar incident is mentioned by Mr Adams, in his Naturalist in India, 

 (p. 17): "About half-a-mile from my bungalow, there were two large 

 hedges of prickly pear, and between them a stagnant pool. I often took up a 

 position under the cool shade of a peepul-tree close by, and watched the habits 

 of the feathered tribe at mid-day. On one occasion, having shot a sun-bird, it 

 fell on the margin of the pool, when some animal jumped from the muddy 

 water, seized it, and instantly disappeared with its prey. A short time after- 

 wards a large green frog appeared on the surface. I shot it, and discovered the 

 bird in its mouth. 



"What do Fleas live upon.— Most people (at least most people in 

 large towns) will probably think themselves qualified to answer this question, 

 but although we do not pretend to more experience on this subject than our 

 neighbours, we venture to express our doubts of the truth of the answer which 

 would be given, for there are some facts which would imply that the perfect 

 insect must either be able to live without eating at all or else must live upon 



