FROGS. 53 



As to insects, he is less tolerant, and destroys those 

 who venture on the surface of what he considers his water 

 with promptitude and despatch. Enough has surely been 

 said to show that the frog is worthy of vastly higher 

 consideration at the hands of man than he has been 

 in the habit of receiving, and that, were it not for that 

 unfortunate affliction in the matter of legs, frogs would 

 attract great attention from their striking similarity to men, 

 their meditative habits, their powers of concerted singing, 

 and their great athletic attainments. Now that attention has 

 been called to them, doubtless the race will be seriously 

 studied, and it may be expected that it will be discovered 

 that they possess far higher and finer traits of character 

 than has hitherto been suspected. 



