TADPOLES. 



21 



to fade, and, little by little, withers away, until in the perfect animal 

 it entirely disappears. About the same time the lungs become de- 

 veloped, and assume their functions. In Fig. 5 may be traced 

 the successive phases of* its transformation from the egg to the tad- 



4 



Fig. 5. Development of the Tadpole. 



Egg of the Frog. 2. The egg fecundated, and surrounded by its vesicle. 3. First state of 

 the Tadpole. 4. Appearance of the breathing gills. 5. Their development. 6. Formation 

 of the hind feet. 7. Formation of the fore feet, and decay of the gills. 8. Development of 

 the lungs, and reduction of the tail 9. The perfect Frog. 



pole, till we finally reach the perfect Batrachian. Through these 

 admirable modifications we see the fish little by little becoming a 

 Batrachian. In order to follow this strange metamorphosis, it 

 suffices to gather some Frogs' eggs, and place them with some 

 aquatic herbs in an aquarium, or in a globe with gold and silver 

 fish. It there constitutes a most interesting spectacle, and we 



