EDIBLE FROG. Ill 



Its existence as a British species was first recorded in the 

 " Zoologist," in the following notice from Mr. Bond, dated 

 November, 1843 :* " I have the pleasure of recording in 

 the * Zoologist' the capture of the Edible Frog (Rana 

 esculenta. Linn.) for the first time, I believe, in this 

 country. Two specimens were taken by my friend, C. 

 Thurnall, Esq., of Duxford, in Foulmire Fen, Cambridge- 

 shire, in September last." Shortly afterwards a charac- 

 teristic figure was published in the same work ; and 

 subsequently I received some specimens myself from Mr. 

 Bond, which I had an opportunity of comparing and iden- 

 tifying with the continental species, having then in my 

 possession many living ones, which I had received from 

 France. Mr. Bond relates, in a farther notice in the same 

 work,f that they were very abundant in that locality, and 

 expresses his surprise " that they were never seen before, 

 their croaking being so very different from that of the com- 

 mon frog ; the sound is more of a loud snore, exactly like 

 that of the barn owl (Strix flammea). The whole fen was 

 quite in a charm with their song." Mr. Bond proceeds to 

 say, that " this Frog is a very timid animal, disappearing 

 on the least alarm, and it is not very easy to catch. It 

 .seems to be entirely a water reptile, never coming on the 

 land ; at least, I never could find one out of the water, 

 like the common species." The very remarkable and sono- 

 rous croak belonging to this species had procured for the 

 Frogs of this neighbourhood the names of " Cambridge- 

 shire nightingales," and of " Whaddon organs ;" and I 

 have often heard my father, who was a native of those 

 parts, say that the croak of the frogs there was so differ- 

 ent from that of others, that he thought they must be 



* Zoologist, vol. ii. p. 393. f Page 677. 



