1 2 Froys 



Pudding Stone. 



Mantis Religiosa, or Praying Locust (Africa). 



Garnet and Green Garnet . . . . By the President. 



Mergus Castor, the Oyster Catcher, or Sea Magpie. By J. H. Ward. 



Mr. Vereker mentioned that the natives considered the " Mantis 

 Religiosa" sacred, and held it a sin to kill it. 



Afterwards Meek read a paper on 



FROGS. 



We extract the following : — 



The food of the Tadpole consists solely of vegetables. A 

 beautiful provision of nature is shewn in the formation of the 

 mouth. At first it is furnished with lips and a sort of horny 

 excrescence which acts as jaws in dividing the food. Finally, 

 however, when the diet of the animal is quite changed, and con- 

 sists of slugs, worms, and insects (for on these frogs feed) instead 

 of vegetables alone, the small armed mouth is transformed into 

 the yawning gape which reaches beyond the eyes, as in this case 

 the food is swallowed entire. It is one of the most wonderful 

 things in natural history to see how the fish-like bones and fish- 

 like gills are changed into the corresponding animal organs. 



It would seem probable that if frogs breed as numerously, as 

 we know they do, that we should frequently be afflicted with 

 plagues of them. And in spite of their many relentless enemies, 

 such as pike, &c., this might happen if it were not for a natural 

 instinct which causes a regular annual clearance of them. The 

 two year old frogs, I have been assured, kill the three year olds. 

 This is effected by a deadly grapple with which they welcome one 

 another on meeting. They remain locked together till one or the 

 other is choked, and the vanquished individual is in all cases the 

 elder frog. Our unfortunate frog finds the murder perpetrated in 

 his youth retaliated upon him in his old age. As regards the 

 truth of the theory, many pairs of frogs have been observed lying 

 at the bottom of ponds in a sort of torpor, certainly appearing to be 

 trying to squeeze the breath out of one another's bodies. The 

 victorious frog leaves the corpse of his enemy at the bottom, and 

 swims off to resume his ordinary occupations. As a peculiar illus- 

 tration of this instinct in nature, it is nearly certain that two year 

 old robins kill the three year olds, for two robins never meet 

 peacefully, and it is always the elder one that succumbs. 



It may appear curious to many how the frog can remain during 

 the late autumn, winter, and early spring at the bottom of ponds 



