﻿NOTES 
  ON 
  THE 
  EDIBLE 
  FROGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  AND 
  

   THEIR 
  ARTIFICIAL 
  PROPAGATION. 
  

  

  The 
  frogs 
  are 
  familiar 
  representatives 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  class 
  of 
  cold- 
  

   blooded 
  vertebrates 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  Batrachia. 
  The 
  batrachians 
  are 
  

   intermediate 
  anatomically 
  and 
  physiologically 
  between 
  the 
  fishes 
  and 
  

   the 
  rei)tiles 
  (snakes, 
  turtles, 
  terrapins, 
  alligators, 
  etc.); 
  they 
  are 
  chiefly 
  

   characterized 
  by 
  the 
  metamorphosis 
  which 
  the 
  young 
  undergo 
  before 
  

   assuming 
  the 
  functions 
  and 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  adults. 
  The 
  young 
  are 
  mostly 
  

   aquatic 
  and 
  breathe 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  gills, 
  which 
  absorb 
  oxygen 
  from 
  the 
  

   water. 
  Later 
  the 
  gills 
  disappear 
  and 
  are 
  replaced 
  by 
  lungs. 
  

  

  The 
  frogs 
  are 
  included 
  in 
  the 
  order 
  Salientla 
  (the 
  leapers), 
  distin- 
  

   guished 
  by 
  having 
  a 
  short, 
  depressed 
  body 
  and 
  four 
  limbs, 
  the 
  hind 
  

   pair 
  being 
  much 
  enlarged 
  and 
  adapted 
  to 
  leaping 
  and 
  swimming; 
  the 
  

   tail, 
  present 
  in 
  the 
  young, 
  disappears 
  with 
  age. 
  In 
  the 
  related 
  orders 
  

   ( 
  C7>-0(/ete, 
  containing 
  the 
  salamanders 
  and 
  newts; 
  FroteidUj 
  the 
  mud- 
  

   puppies 
  or 
  water-dogs, 
  and 
  Trachystomata, 
  the 
  sirens 
  or 
  mud-eels) 
  the 
  

   tail 
  persists 
  in 
  adult 
  life 
  and 
  the 
  hind 
  limbs 
  are 
  small, 
  but 
  the 
  metamor- 
  

   phoses 
  and 
  habits 
  otherwise 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  closely 
  resemble 
  the 
  Salientia. 
  

  

  Associated 
  with 
  the 
  frogs 
  {Banidcv), 
  in 
  the 
  order 
  Salientia, 
  are 
  the 
  

   families 
  {Bu/onidw 
  and 
  Hylidw) 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  toads 
  and 
  tree 
  frogs 
  

   belong. 
  The 
  toads 
  are 
  very 
  closely 
  related 
  to 
  the 
  frogs, 
  but 
  differ 
  in 
  

   having 
  more 
  terrestrial 
  habits 
  and, 
  among 
  other 
  structural 
  features, 
  in 
  

   the 
  absence 
  of 
  teeth 
  and 
  the 
  possession 
  of 
  an 
  expansible 
  thorax; 
  their 
  

   uncouth 
  form 
  and 
  the 
  pungent 
  secretions 
  which 
  have 
  brought 
  them 
  

   immunity 
  from 
  the 
  attacks 
  of 
  other 
  animals 
  have 
  added 
  to 
  the 
  preju- 
  

   dice 
  against 
  their 
  relatives, 
  the 
  frogs. 
  The 
  tree 
  frogs 
  are 
  characterized 
  

   by 
  arboreal 
  habits 
  and 
  corresponding 
  changes 
  in 
  structure. 
  More 
  than 
  

   250 
  species 
  of 
  true 
  frogs 
  {Banidw) 
  are 
  known. 
  They 
  are 
  most 
  numer- 
  

   ous 
  in 
  Africa 
  and 
  the 
  East 
  Indies. 
  

  

  The 
  edible 
  frogs 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  genus 
  Rana 
  

   (Latin, 
  a 
  frog). 
  Of 
  these. 
  Professor 
  Cope 
  in 
  his 
  Batrachia 
  of 
  North 
  

   America 
  (1889) 
  lists 
  13 
  species 
  and 
  6 
  subspecies 
  or 
  varieties, 
  to 
  which 
  

   there 
  have 
  since 
  been 
  some 
  additions. 
  

  

  FOOD 
  VAX,UE 
  OF 
  FROGS. 
  

  

  The 
  value 
  of 
  frogs 
  as 
  food 
  is 
  now 
  thoroughly 
  recognized. 
  The 
  meat 
  

   is 
  white, 
  delicate, 
  and 
  very 
  wholesome 
  and 
  palatable. 
  Although 
  eaten 
  

   at 
  all 
  times, 
  it 
  is 
  in 
  best 
  condition 
  in 
  fall 
  and 
  winter; 
  in 
  spring 
  it 
  is 
  of 
  

  

  251 
  

  

  