320 THE VIVARIUM. 
The Frog’s manner of taking food has already been described. 
It does not invariably obtain its victim by the help of its 
curiously-constructed tongue, but very often jumps forward and 
seizes it with the mouth. 
A Frog is several years in reaching maturity ; it may be said, 
therefore, to be a fairly long-lived animal. The Common Frog is 
a very skilful climber. It has been frequently found high up the 
trunks of trees, or squatting among their branches. It can scale 
walls of several feet in height, and even, sometimes, perpendicular 
glass. I have often turned quantities of Frogs in a kitchen 
garden, which is surrounded by a cob wall of more than 6ft. high, 
and as I seldom find these creatures there, I conclude they have 
escaped by climbing. Frogs, of course, should be encouraged in a | 
garden, for they do a great deal of good. 
The Common Frog may be kept in the same Vivarium as R. 
esculenta, and other relatives of a similar size. 
Rk. temporaria has a moderately-sized head, and a short, blunt 
snout. The toes are webbed for at least two-thirds of their 
length. It has a glandular lateral fold, fairly prominent. The 
colour of the upper parts of this creature’s body is very variable, 
and is spotted with dark brown or black. There is always a dark 
temporal mark, which has given to the Batrachian its specific name. 
The sides of the animal’s body are also spotted, and its limbs are 
cross-barred. The male has two internal vocal sacs. The body 
and head of a Frog of an average size attain the length of 2in. 
The Cystignathidw (the Arch-jawed) has been placed as the first 
family of the Areifera, to which allusion has already been made. 
This family, of which the genus Ceratophrys is one of the most in- 
teresting and curious, is very large, for it numbers as many as 
twenty-four genera, and about 156 species. 
The genus Ceratophrys contains ten species, all of which are 
natives of South America. One of the chief characteristics of 
these strange Batrachians is the development of the upper eyelids 
into horn-like protuberances, which give the animals a very ex- 
traordinary appearance. These appendages can be raised or de- 
pressed at will. For instance, when these creatures are touched, 
frightened, threatened, or when they are swallowing a victim, the 
so-called horns seem to sink, more or less, into the head. 
