320 RAMBLES ABOUT HOME. 



afterward hunted for them. Of all the frogs in this 

 country this is doubtless the greatest. I am told that 

 toward autumn, as soon as the air begins to grow a little 

 cool, they hide themselves under the mud which lies at 

 the bottom of ponds and stagnant waters, and lie there 

 torpid during winter. As soon as the weather grows 

 mild toward summer they begin to get out of their 

 holes, and croak. If the spring, that is, if the mild 

 weather, begins early, they appear about the end of March, 

 old style ; but if it happens late, they tarry under water 

 till late in April. Their places of abode are ponds and 

 bogs with stagnant water ; they are never in any flowing 

 water. "When many of them croak together they make 

 an enormous noise. Their croak exactly resembles the 

 roaring of an ox or bull which is somewhat hoarse. 

 They croak so loud that two people talking by the side 

 of a pond can not understand each other. They croak 

 all together ; then stop a little, and begin again. It seems 

 as if they had a captain among them : for when he be- 

 gins to croak, all the others follow ; and w T hen he stops, 

 the others are all silent. When this captain gives the 

 signal for stopping, you hear a note like ' Po 0>/' 

 coming from him. In day-time they seldom make any 

 great noise, unless the sky is covered. But the night is 

 their croaking-time ; and when all is calm you may hear 

 them, though you. are near a mile and a half off. When 

 they croak they commonly are near the surface of the 

 water, under the bushes, and have their heads out of 

 water. Therefore, by going slowly one may get close up 

 to them before they go away. As soon as they are quite 

 under water they think themselves safe, though the water 

 be very shallow. 



" Sometimes they sit at a good distance from the 

 pond ; but as soon as they suspect any danger, they has- 



