NATURAL HISTORY STUDIES 



lie near the pond, buried in the mud or safe in 

 secluded holes, mouth shut, nose shut, eyes shut, 

 with the heart beating feebly, breathing through 

 their skin, and eating nothing. The awakening 

 in spring is followed immediately by pairing and 

 egg-laying, and the aquatic juvenile life of the tad- 

 poles occupies about three months. In summer 

 there is a remarkable migration to the fields and 

 meadows, and many hundreds of froglings, about 

 the size of a first-finger nail, are seen on the march 

 from the pond. The adults also migrate, and the 

 meaning in both cases is the same that they seek 

 out places where insects abound. Of the many 

 that go forth, only a remnant returns, for there is 

 great mortality in the fields, where there are many 

 physical risks and many alert enemies. The grass 

 snake alone accounts for a good many in some 

 parts of England. Those that escape whether 

 youngsters or old experienced hands return to the 

 pond in the autumn, and go into winter quarters 

 in the mud. 



