74 



THE NATURALIST. 



trescent matter and thus prevent 

 those evils to which we should other- 

 wise most certainly be subjected. 



Is it not then plainly the office of 

 these tadpoles, in part, to prevent 

 the accumulation in ponds of these 

 baleful substances ? Whether this 

 be their true office or not it is cer- 

 tain that they do act as scavengers, 

 and in that capacity confer a great 

 boon upon the human race. 



Viewed in this light the vastness 

 of their numbers is no longer prob- 

 lematical, but becomes at once an 

 intelligible fact. 



But having performed their ap- 

 pointed task of eating up these 

 disease-creating substances, what 

 then becomes of these myriads of 

 tadpoles ? Surely they do not all 

 reach a state of maturity, for if so 

 how is it that we see so few adult 

 frogs ? 



Few of those vast swarms that 

 blacken the waters in spring with 

 their dusky forms ever reach the 

 perfect frog. Their enemies are 

 many, their means of defence few. 

 They become the prey of larger or 

 more warlike animals than them- 

 selves. These constant attacks 

 greatly thin their numbers. Thus 

 by the time they are fit to leave the 

 water they are, though still some- 

 what numerous, much less so than 

 at an earlier period of their exis- 

 tence. But having left the waters 

 they are still exposed to great dan- 



gers. They are greedily devoured 

 by the snake, weasel, polecat, and 

 by nearly every species of water 

 fowl. Then there are the young of 

 the genus "homo" who, prompted 

 by the unloving heart of ignorance, 

 kill every member of the class rep- 

 tilia they meet with as useless and 

 dangerous animals. It is sad to be 

 compelled to say that these little 

 tyrants are not so much to be blamed 

 as theirparents, friends and teachers, 

 for these, generally speaking,through 

 ignorance or cruel prejudice, set 

 them the example, or at all events 

 do not care to check them in their 

 career of destruction. But it is our 

 duty, it is the duty of all who lay 

 any claim to the honourable title of 

 Naturalist to protect these and other 

 equally ill treated creatures, from the 

 blind fury of the ignorant. We 

 should let no opportunity slip un- 

 improved of showing that they are 

 not only harmless but really bene- 

 ficial. Let us not be passive spec- 

 tators of this cruel injustice, but let 

 every one be taught the truth, and 

 then should this inhuman persecu- 

 tion continue, we at least can acquit 

 ourselves of all complicity in their 

 guilty deeds. 



The greater number of these lar- 

 val frogs perish at a very early 

 period of their existence from aquatic 

 foes. Among those animals which 

 I have seen feed largely upon them 

 are the following : — 



