THE EDIBLE FROG. 103 



looking upon them as forming portions, isolated 

 though they may be by geographical position, of the 

 great continental whole. As an island, we possess, 

 not only idiosyncrasies but also animals, insects, or 

 plants which are somewhat peculiar ; yet because we 

 are surrounded by the sea now, that is no reason 

 why we should regard our " tight little island " as a 

 world of our own, and forget our relationships with 

 the old continent from which we " seceded " many 

 long years ago. 



The following is Mr. Berney's account of his in- 

 troduction of the edible frog into this country. 



I went to Paris in 1837, and brought home two hundred edible 

 frogs and a great quantity of spawn. These were deposited in 

 the ditches and in the meadows at Morton, in some ponds at 

 Hockering, and some were placed in the fens at Foulden, near 

 Stoke Ferry. They did not like the meadows, and left them for 

 ponds. In 1841, I imported another lot from Brussels. In 

 1842, I brought over from St. Omer thirteen hundred, in large 

 hampers, made like slave ships, with plenty of tiers ; these were 

 moveable, ard were covered with water-lily leaves, stitched on to 

 them, that the frogs might be comfortable and feel at home. 

 These were dispersed about in the above-mentioned places, and 

 many hundreds were put into the fens at Foulden and in the 

 neighbourhood.* 



In 1853 Mr. A. Newton and his brother were 

 driving along the road between Thetford and Seoul- 

 ton, in Norfolk, and hearing an unusual noise, 

 stopped to ascertain the cause. His brother alighted 



* The Zoologist, p. 6539. 



