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  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  skin 
  runs 
  from 
  eye 
  to 
  hind 
  leg. 
  The 
  femur 
  is 
  shorter 
  than 
  the 
  tibia, 
  

   which 
  is 
  rather 
  more 
  than 
  half 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  body. 
  The 
  toes 
  are 
  not 
  

   quite 
  fully 
  webbed, 
  the 
  last 
  joints 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  toes 
  and 
  last 
  two 
  of 
  the 
  

   fourth 
  toe 
  being 
  free. 
  The 
  color 
  above 
  is 
  greenish.-yellow, 
  with 
  golden 
  

   reflections, 
  spotted 
  with 
  black. 
  The 
  sides 
  of 
  abdomen 
  and 
  hind 
  legs 
  

   are 
  reddish-orange. 
  The 
  under 
  parts 
  are 
  dull 
  yellowish-green, 
  spotted. 
  

   While 
  the 
  species 
  of 
  frogs 
  described 
  are 
  those 
  commonly 
  used 
  for 
  

   food, 
  there 
  seems 
  no 
  valid 
  reason 
  why 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  Ranidfv 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  

   eaten. 
  The 
  small 
  size 
  of 
  some, 
  with 
  possibly 
  a 
  disagreeable 
  odor, 
  has 
  

   prevented 
  their 
  use 
  up 
  to 
  this 
  time. 
  

  

  SUGGESTIONS 
  FOR 
  FROG-CULTURE. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  foregoing 
  discussion 
  of 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  frog 
  it 
  will 
  

   be 
  seen 
  that 
  its 
  culture 
  must 
  be 
  of 
  necessity 
  a 
  matter 
  requiring 
  time, 
  

   patience, 
  and 
  an 
  appreciation 
  of 
  the 
  animal's 
  habits 
  and 
  needs. 
  So 
  

   far 
  as 
  can 
  be 
  learned, 
  attempts 
  thus 
  far 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  cultivation 
  of 
  

   frogs 
  from 
  the 
  egg 
  stage 
  have 
  been 
  arrested 
  at 
  the 
  period 
  when 
  the 
  

   larva 
  assumes 
  the 
  adult 
  form. 
  From 
  this 
  time 
  the 
  food 
  must 
  be 
  living, 
  

   and 
  it 
  generally 
  consists 
  almost 
  entirely 
  of 
  insects. 
  The 
  difficulty, 
  

   approaching 
  impossibility, 
  of 
  furnishing 
  these 
  in 
  sufficient 
  quantity 
  

   has 
  been 
  the 
  great 
  drawback. 
  The 
  placing 
  about 
  the 
  pond 
  of 
  meat 
  

   and 
  decaying 
  matter 
  to 
  attract 
  flies 
  has 
  been 
  suggested, 
  but 
  the 
  con- 
  

   tamination 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  by 
  the 
  poisonous 
  matters 
  of 
  decomposition 
  has 
  

   counteracted 
  all 
  benefits 
  produced. 
  The 
  frogs, 
  failing 
  in 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  

   more 
  natural 
  food, 
  have 
  been 
  compelled 
  to 
  devour 
  one 
  another. 
  

  

  To 
  rear 
  the 
  tadpole 
  is 
  comparatively 
  easy. 
  Anyone 
  may 
  obtain 
  a 
  

   supply 
  of 
  eggs 
  by 
  visiting 
  the 
  stagnant 
  pools 
  in 
  early 
  spring 
  with 
  a 
  

   dipper 
  and 
  bucket, 
  but 
  this 
  method 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  less 
  advantageous 
  

   than 
  the 
  stocking 
  of 
  suitable 
  waters 
  with 
  a 
  sufficient 
  number 
  of 
  pairs 
  

   of 
  mature 
  frogs. 
  The 
  young 
  can 
  be 
  protected 
  by 
  building 
  a 
  close 
  fence 
  

   around 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  pond 
  to 
  exclude 
  such 
  enemies 
  as 
  raccoons 
  and 
  

   reptiles, 
  while 
  a 
  screen 
  must 
  be 
  i)i"Ovided 
  so 
  that 
  wading 
  birds, 
  whose 
  

   long 
  legs 
  furnish 
  them 
  special 
  facilities, 
  can 
  not 
  stand 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  

   devour 
  the 
  helpless 
  tadpoles. 
  Any 
  device 
  to 
  be 
  effective 
  must 
  be 
  so 
  

   arranged 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  room 
  for 
  birds 
  or 
  other 
  animals 
  to 
  stand 
  on 
  

   shore 
  or 
  in 
  shallow 
  water, 
  either 
  on 
  or 
  under 
  the 
  screen, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  

   same 
  time 
  it 
  must 
  allow 
  the 
  young 
  to 
  come 
  to 
  land, 
  for 
  if 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  

   opportunity 
  for 
  the 
  tadpoles 
  to 
  breathe 
  the 
  air 
  at 
  rest 
  and 
  exercise 
  the 
  

   legs, 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  metamorphosis 
  will 
  be 
  indefinitely 
  delayed. 
  They 
  

   have 
  been 
  kept 
  in 
  aquaria 
  for 
  years 
  in 
  the 
  tadpole 
  stage. 
  

  

  B^ood 
  during 
  this 
  i^eriod 
  is 
  readily 
  provided. 
  If 
  a 
  shallow 
  old 
  pond 
  

   is 
  chosen, 
  already 
  well 
  stocked 
  with 
  organic 
  matter, 
  it 
  will 
  supply, 
  un 
  

   aided, 
  food 
  for 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  frogs. 
  This 
  may 
  be 
  readily 
  increased 
  

   by 
  supplying 
  animal 
  refuse, 
  liver 
  and 
  such 
  material, 
  care 
  being 
  taken, 
  

   of 
  course, 
  not 
  to 
  leave 
  a 
  surj)lus 
  to 
  putrefy 
  and 
  infect 
  the 
  water. 
  The 
  

   more 
  abundant 
  the 
  food 
  and 
  the 
  warmer 
  the 
  water 
  the 
  more 
  rapid 
  is 
  the 
  

  

  