WILD CREATURES OF GARDEN AND HEDGEROW 



so the tadpoles should be provided with tiny 

 bits of meat as food, for if this is not done 

 they will be sure to eat each other ! The 

 smaller ones go first, and then the bigger, until 

 only one or two fine fat tadpoles are left to tell 

 the tale. When their tails begin to shrink a 

 stone should be put in the basin so that the wee 

 frogs may have an island to climb out upon 

 when they are ready to leave the water. Don't, 

 however, do what I once did. I had a lot of 

 tadpoles of which I was very proud, having 

 taken a great deal of trouble with them and 

 reared them to the stage when they were just 

 becoming frogs. I made a delightful island 

 for them to land on, having found a big stone 

 with holes in it, which would hold soil, so that 

 I was able to plant small ferns and other little 

 plants on it and make a most realistic island. 

 The tiny frogs, with their stumpy tails not 

 quite absorbed, seemed to like my arrange- 

 ments; they came out of the water and sat 

 about under the ferns. Unfortunately on 

 the second morning after they had left the 

 water I had to go out for the day. The bowl 

 and its contents were left in a window, which 

 in the morning was nicely shaded, but which I 

 forgot received the full blaze of the afternoon 

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