﻿MANUAL 
  OF 
  FISH-CULTURE. 
  253 
  

  

  hunter's 
  aim, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  blinding 
  or 
  dazing 
  the 
  frogs. 
  After 
  

   entering 
  on 
  their 
  hibernation, 
  many 
  are 
  dug 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  mud, 
  large 
  

   numbers 
  often 
  being 
  found 
  together 
  at 
  thivS 
  time. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  basin 
  of 
  the 
  St. 
  Francis 
  Eiver, 
  in 
  Missouri 
  and 
  Arkansas, 
  where 
  

   the 
  business 
  is 
  important, 
  frogs 
  are 
  captured 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  spears, 
  with 
  

   lines 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  long 
  rods, 
  and 
  with 
  firearms. 
  In 
  the 
  early 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  season, 
  when 
  the 
  frogs 
  retire 
  to 
  the 
  mud 
  during 
  the 
  cool 
  nights, 
  and 
  

   only 
  appear 
  on 
  warm, 
  bright 
  days, 
  they 
  are 
  taken 
  on 
  hooks 
  baited 
  with 
  

   red 
  cloth 
  and 
  by 
  guns 
  and 
  rifles. 
  Later 
  the 
  bulk 
  of 
  the 
  catch 
  is 
  made 
  

   at 
  night 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  spears 
  with 
  one 
  to 
  three 
  barbed 
  prongs. 
  Two 
  men 
  

   usually 
  hnnt 
  together 
  in 
  a 
  boat, 
  one 
  rowing, 
  the 
  other 
  standing 
  in 
  the 
  bow 
  

   with 
  spear 
  and 
  a 
  large 
  reflector 
  made 
  especially 
  for 
  the 
  purpose. 
  The 
  

   season 
  in 
  this 
  region 
  is 
  i>rincipally 
  from 
  March 
  to 
  June. 
  Only 
  the 
  hind 
  

   legs 
  are 
  preserved; 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  these 
  weighs 
  about 
  half 
  a 
  pound. 
  

  

  The 
  i^rices 
  received 
  for 
  frogs 
  varies 
  greatly, 
  and 
  depends 
  on 
  the 
  con- 
  

   dition 
  of 
  the 
  market, 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  frogs, 
  and 
  the 
  locality. 
  Dressed 
  

   legs 
  yield 
  the 
  hunters 
  from 
  12i 
  to 
  50 
  cents 
  a 
  pound, 
  and 
  live 
  frogs 
  

   from 
  5 
  cents 
  to 
  $4 
  a 
  dozen. 
  In 
  the 
  Kankakee 
  Valley, 
  Indiana, 
  for 
  

   example, 
  the 
  prices 
  received 
  by 
  the 
  hunters 
  are 
  75 
  cents 
  a 
  dozen 
  for 
  

   large 
  frogs, 
  10 
  cents 
  a 
  dozen 
  for 
  medium-sized 
  frogs, 
  and 
  5 
  cents 
  a 
  

   dozen 
  for 
  small 
  frogs, 
  while 
  in 
  San 
  Francisco 
  the 
  market 
  price 
  is 
  $3 
  to 
  

   $4 
  a 
  dozen. 
  

  

  The 
  unrestricted 
  hunting 
  of 
  frogs 
  threatens 
  their 
  practical 
  extinction 
  

   in 
  all 
  places 
  where 
  their 
  abundance 
  and 
  shipping 
  facilities 
  or 
  proximity 
  

   to 
  market 
  render 
  the 
  business 
  profitable. 
  Already 
  a 
  marked 
  decrease 
  

   in 
  the 
  supply 
  is 
  manifest 
  in 
  Lake 
  Erie, 
  in 
  northern 
  New 
  York, 
  and 
  

   other 
  places, 
  and 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  meet 
  the 
  increasing 
  demand 
  hundreds 
  of 
  

   l)eople 
  are 
  experimenting 
  or 
  prei)aring 
  to 
  engage 
  in 
  frog-culture. 
  

  

  The 
  need 
  of 
  definite 
  information 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  methods 
  of 
  procedure 
  has 
  

   been 
  generally 
  felt 
  and 
  frequent 
  inquiries 
  concerning 
  frog-culture 
  are 
  

   received 
  by 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Fish 
  Commission. 
  While 
  the 
  practica- 
  

   bility 
  of 
  artificial 
  propagation 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  demonstrated, 
  it 
  is 
  evident 
  

   that 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  salable 
  frogs 
  from 
  a 
  given 
  area 
  may 
  be 
  largely 
  

   increased 
  by 
  artificial 
  means. 
  To 
  undertake 
  intelhgent 
  work 
  in 
  this 
  

   line 
  a 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  natural 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  frog 
  is 
  essential. 
  

  

  HABITS 
  AND 
  DEVELOPMENT 
  OF 
  FROGS. 
  

  

  All 
  frogs 
  undergo 
  a 
  tadpole 
  stage, 
  though 
  in 
  some 
  species 
  this 
  is 
  so 
  

   rapid 
  as 
  to 
  lead 
  the 
  casual 
  observer 
  to 
  think 
  it 
  omitted. 
  

  

  Upon 
  the 
  disappearance 
  ot 
  frosts 
  at 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  winter 
  the 
  hibernating 
  

   frogs 
  return 
  to 
  active 
  life, 
  and 
  as 
  the 
  waters 
  become 
  warmer 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  

   sun 
  their 
  notes 
  are 
  heard 
  in 
  suitable 
  localities 
  all 
  over 
  the 
  country. 
  

   In 
  some 
  species 
  the 
  song 
  is 
  distinctly 
  a 
  chant 
  d'amour; 
  in 
  others 
  it 
  is 
  

   continued 
  long 
  after 
  the 
  breeding 
  season 
  is 
  over. 
  During 
  the 
  breeding 
  

   season 
  the 
  social 
  instinct 
  prevails, 
  and 
  species 
  of 
  usually 
  solitary 
  habits 
  

   congregate 
  in 
  large 
  numbers, 
  thus 
  becoming 
  ready 
  prey 
  for 
  the 
  hunter. 
  

  

  