SNAKE AND FROG PRATTLE 243 



of silence. Unless the frog is past recovery it has be- 

 come a practice to scare the lizard, and to suggest to 

 the frog the sanctuary of another hollow. 



But frogs are not always considerate of other and 

 gayer creatures. A friend who possessed a pet canary 

 noticed that one morning in the cage of his pet there 

 sat a panting frog, blinking in the sunlight. Thinking 

 that the intruder had entered the cage to assuage his 

 thirst, he did not eject it. It was the habit of the 

 canary to hail the smiling morn with cheerful carol. 

 In a few minutes unaccustomed silence prevailed, and 

 then it was noticed that the frog was distended to a 

 degree which must have caused it infinite satisfaction, 

 while the canary had vanished. The conclusion was 

 obvious and damning. Being accustomed to post 

 mortems, my friend settled the point forthwith, the 

 warm canar}^ being revealed, with but slightly disarrayed 

 feathers. ' 



A further illustration of the capacious and criminal 

 appetite of the frog may be quoted. The wet season 

 had been generous and prolonged, the crop of frogs 

 prolific. The verge of a lagoon was crowded with 

 active and lusty creatures, belonging, if colour was to 

 be accepted as evidence, to different species, in fairly 

 equal numbers. A casual glance inspired the thought 

 that the occasion was nothing more than a vast assembly 

 of gre3^s and greens enjoying the pastime which boys 

 imitate. All round were leaping frogs engaged in 

 contests — greys against greens. Suspecting no evil 

 intent, it was interesting thus to note the derivation of 

 the game we have all played in sportful youth; but 

 closer inspection proved that, instead of a friendly 

 tournament on the grand scale, the rival frogs were 

 indulging in shocking cannibalism. A grey frog would 

 approach a green, when each would appear to become 



