COMMON AND EDIBLE FROGS 
consume other tadpoles. If these are not procurable, 
it will take other animal food, and as it pursues its busy 
life it is all the time evolving into a perfect little Frog, 
a familiar enough object to all. Its metamorphosis 
complete, the young Frog leaves its watery home 
equipped for the great struggle in which on land, as in 
the water, it is about to play its part. The food of the 
adult Frog consists of earth worms, insects, slugs, snails, 
and other creatures. It does a great amount of good, 
and is a gardener’s friend. ‘The present species is some 
shade of brown on the upper parts, spotted with darker 
colour, but the males may be known by having yellowish- 
white below, and the females orange. The colour varies 
a good deal in even the same locality, but in a different 
environment, and light and dark specimens are frequently 
found not far apart. The length acquired is about 
three inches. ‘The male is much the smaller of the two 
sexes. 
The pleasant croaking noise made by the Frog, 
especially during the spawning season, is quite a rural 
feature, though I have seen a number of people look up 
aloft to discover the cause of the unfamiliar chorus. 
One need only mention in conclusion its remarkable 
hopping feats, and its great ability as a swimmer. 
Edible Frog. — Rana esculenta (Fig. 20). Although 
this species is stated by a well-known authority to be 
“common in England ” (particularly in Cambridgeshire 
and Norfolk), it is a fact that I have met many naturalists 
who have never encountered it during their outdoor 
41 
