CHAPTER XXIV. 



FROGS, TOADS AND SOME FRESH-WATER FISH. 



HITHERTO our studies of the animal life of North China have been 

 confined almost, entirely to land forms. True we have discussed 

 the aquatic birds, but after all these are in a sense inhabitants of the 

 dry land, and spend most of their time on terra firma, only resorting 

 to the waters in search of food. At other times many of them are 

 engaged in long migratory flights, and so might almost be looked upon 

 as aerial. Amongsit mammals the otter is the only species which could 

 be called aquatic. 



What, then, of that wonderful world below the rippling surfaces 

 amongst the weeds of China's many waters? What about those 

 seemingly quiet depths, to a great extent beyond our ken, peopled with 

 myriads of busy active creatures, whose lives are just as surely made 

 up of joy, pain, love, courtship, war and tragedy as those of the 

 more advanced forms of life in the upper-world? May we not in a 

 small part enter into it, learn something of its denizens and so derive 

 much of pleasure and instruction? 



It is to be regretted that, though there is plenty of water in this 

 country, so much of it is of that yellow turbid nature that gives its 

 name to the mightiest of our northern rivers. In con- 

 sequence it loses to a great extent much of the charm and 

 attractiveness that water usually has for us. One can scarcely imagine 

 anybody getting enthusiastic about the sub-aquatic fauna that he 

 might suspect of being- there, yet cannot see, as he stands on the 

 bank of the Pei Ho and watches that muddy flow. Even in the canals, 

 where the current is so slow that one would think nothing could be 

 carried in suspension, the same all-pervading, infinitely minute part- 

 icles, which trace back their origin to the Gobi Desert, are continually 

 being stirred up by the passage of boats, till nothing below the wind- 

 kissed surface is discernable. 



