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GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BATRACHIANS. 299 
put a few Tree-Frogs, for less than an hour, in a Chameleon-case, 
the air of which was hot and dry, and the consequence was that 
all the little Batrachians, except one, died. 
Batrachians require plenty of water, hiding-places, and shade. 
Cases like those shown in Figs. 1, 3, 6 (the lower case), 9, 10, 
13, 14, and 23 may be used for these creatures, of which Figs. 1 
and 9 are the most suitable. 
The bottom of a case when prepared for Batrachians should be 
covered thickly with garden mould, over which may be spread 
clean fresh pieces of moss. The mould should come up nearly 
level with the receptacle which contains the water. If possible 
this receptacle ought to be provided with a hole at the bottom, to 
which is attached a piece of metal tubing of suitable length for 
the purpose of drawing off the water. The hole may be stopped 
by means of a small wooden plug. The water should be soft, and 
changed as often as it becomes dirty. 
The bath should not be made so deep that the animals have 
difficulty in leaving it. A piece of cork-bark fastened to one side 
(inside) of the vessel will enable the creatures to leave the water 
with ease. 
Small earthenware saucers, glazed on the inside, make very 
useful baths, but it is generally necessary to remove them when 
refilling them with water, which is not a little inconvenient, as 
the earth and moss fall into the cavity in which they have stood, 
and which must be cleared out before the saucers can be returned. 
If possible, Batrachian cases should be furnished with some 
growing plants such as those already suggested for the fern-case 
(Fig. 9) and other cases, or lemon and orange-trees, and plants of 
a Similar nature. Besides the plants, it is well to have some bare 
and rather stout branches of trees cut and fixed in such a way 
that they shall be an ornament to the case rather than the 
reverse. On these branches and the leaves of the various plants 
the Tree-Frogs will generally sit. Frequently a frog will choose 
a particular site for the purpose of rest and observation, to which 
it will always return after any venture for prey, either successful 
or not, and which it seems to claim as its own property. Some- 
times when two of these Frogs have set their hearts upon the 
same position, there will be no giving up the one to the other, 
