102 RANADA. 
cavity, and concealed by a little operculum of the imtegu- 
ment. The eyes are now perfectly formed. The holders have 
become much diminished in size; the mouth has acquired 
moveable lips, and has changed its position from the in- 
ferior part of the head to near the extremity, and the little 
creature which has hitherto derived its sustenance either 
from its own resources or by absorption, now seeks its food 
amid softened and decomposing vegetable matter. The 
caudal web (fig. 8) has, therefore, become considerably de- 
veloped, and serves for very rapid as well as varied loco- 
motion. The colour of the body, too, has undergone a 
considerable change, having become of a soft olive green, 
the abdomen being dotted with golden yellow. 
The Tadpole now undergoes but little change in its ex- 
ternal form for a considerable time, but increases rapidly in 
bulk, and by and by a little tubercle appears on each side 
of the vent, which is the rudiment of the posterior extre- 
mity; this soon acquires somewhat the form of the perfect 
limb, the toes budding, as it were, at the extremity, but it 
still continues very short, even in proportion to the dimi- 
nutive size of the animal (fig. 10). Meanwhile the anterior 
extremities are also budding forth in the same manner, and 
gradually assume their distinct and final form. 
As the hinder extremities become developed, the tail, the 
former organ of progression, is removed by absorption, not 
thrown off, as has been erroneously stated. This is a gra- 
dual process, the absorption beginning at the apex, and pro- 
gressing onwards to the base, until the whole is removed ; 
so that the posterior part of the body becomes rounded, 
and the cloacal opening, instead of being placed beneath, 
is directed somewhat upwards. Fig. 11 exhibits the 
young Frog with a small portion of the tail still remaining 
unabsorbed. 
