SHORT STUDIES OF BATRACHIANS. 323 



and so continue to vary. This shows at once that not 

 any one individual started and stopped the croaking of 

 its companions. 



As to their leaping, Kalm is extravagant in his esti- 

 mates. He says "near three yards at one leap," but 

 does not say how near. The biggest old " bloody-noun " 

 I could ever find could not, or would not, hop three 

 yards at one hop for me, although I spurred him on in 

 many ways, even to scaring him with a snake. The 

 longest hop fell short of seven feet by some inches. 

 Perhaps the frogs in Kalm's time were larger than those 

 that grow about here to-day, or it may be that they made 

 spring-boards of lily-leaves, and so had a decided advan- 

 tage in jumping. As to the running-match with the 

 Indian, it is evident that the latter could not have been 

 in running condition that day, or he would have done 

 better ; possibly he was a little rheumatic. The fact is 

 that our modern frogs get out of wind after three or four 

 consecutive hops, and are readily overtaken ; and it is 

 probably for this reason that they are careful never to 

 wander too far from water, as they know that, in propor- 

 tion to the distance they go inland, they increase the 

 danger of exposure to snakes; but, when on the bank 

 of the pond or ditch, they can easily avoid an enemy by 

 one leap into the water, and often into the deeper mud 

 beneath it. Stupid as frogs appear to be, they merit the 

 credit of this degree of intelligence. Again, it is strange 

 that there should have been any doubt as to the fact that 

 snakes ate the bull-frogs, however large they might grow ; 

 for it is no uncommon occurrence for a slender whip-lash 

 of a garter-snake to dispose of a meadow-mouse. By 

 some mechanical ingenuity and physiological black art, 

 their little jaws drop apart wide enough to take in the 

 mouse, and down it goes into a darker retreat than any 



