OBSERVATIONS. 



73 



Feogs and Toads. 



It has been shown in a former 

 number of "The Naturalist," (p. 24,) 

 that the frog and toad are exceed- 

 ingly prolific animals. To many 

 thinkers the statements there made 

 on this point will have raised several 

 questions not easily solved, at least 

 by those who have not had opportu- 

 nities of observing their habits, &c. 

 It will not satisfy an earnest en- 

 quirer into nature merely to be told 

 that she may be likened to a beauti- 

 ful and complicated piece of machin- 

 ery, in which there are numerous 

 "wheels, levers, pulleys, screws, &c., 

 many of which to the ignorant looker- 

 on seem totally useless, nay positively 

 detrimental, though to the skilled 

 mechanist each part bears a particu- 

 lar relation to the rest, and plays a 

 definite part in the working of the 

 machine ; and that therefore these 

 creatures have their appointed duty 

 in the economy of nature, though 

 not known to all. For although this 

 is strictly true — nothing in nature 

 being without its use — he wishes to 

 see what is the relation which these 

 creatures bear to other parts of na- 

 ture, and what is their j)articular 

 office in that grand machine, if I 

 may be permitted so to speak. With 

 the assistance of the aquarium I will 

 endeavour to solve a few questions 



that presented themselves to me 

 under similar circumstances. 



Of what use are all these tadpoles 

 — young toads and frogs ? Are they 

 beneficial or injurious to man ? 



Tadpoles live almost entirely upon 

 decaying animal and vegetable mat- 

 ter, though they sometimes — when 

 short of food for instance — attack 

 living organisms not even exempting 

 their weaker brethren. 



A mere cursory glance at any pond 

 in summer is sufficient to show that 

 it literally swarms with animal and 

 vegetable life, while an equally su- 

 perficial survey in winter reveals as 

 great a paucity. Where then are all 

 the beautiful forms that gave such a 

 charm to a pond visit in summer ? 

 Gaze down through the now deep 

 waters and the question is answered 

 at once. The bottom is thickly 

 strewn over with their remains. 

 The waters are now clear and sweet. 

 But as summer approaches the wa- 

 ters will dry up and this organic 

 refuse will be exposed to the fierce 

 rays of the sun. Decomposition 

 will set in — copious exhalations of 

 poisonous gases will take place — 

 the pond will become a dangerous 

 nuisance — a hot-bed of disease, and 

 a focus of death. 



But before this can take place — 

 in early spring — millions of tadpoles 

 make their ajijpearance, and, as- 

 sisted by mollusca, Crustacea, in- 

 secta and infusoria, eat up this pu- 



