340 THE FROG. 



their destined prey approaching, for some moments 

 they remain immoveably fixed, and, when they are 

 sufficiently near, spring suddenly upon them, at the 

 same time darting their long tongue from their mouth, 

 which is covered over with a glutinous substance, to 

 which whatever it touches is certain to adhere. 



The frog is not only capable of existing with a small 

 portion of nourishment, but will live several hours after 

 the head has been severed from the frame ; and school- 

 boys frequently, in the wantonness of cruelty, strip the 

 unfortunate creatures of their skin, for the purpose of 

 seeing how much vigour they are possessed of, though 

 suffering the most excruciating torture and pain. 



OF THE TOAD, AND ITS VARIETIES. 



Though the toad, in form, bears a strong resem- 

 blance to the harmless animal which we have just de- 

 scribed, yet prejudice has taught us to consider them 

 very differently ; for the one is thought to belong to 

 an obnoxious, and the other to a perfectly harmless 

 race. 



As the toad, in its figure, differs but little from the 

 frog, its disposition and habits are also much alike ; 

 both are known to be amphibious ; both exist chiefly 

 upon the insect tribe ; and though fable has bestowed 

 a poisonous quality upon the former, no effects of that 

 nature have ever been traced. Valisnicri informs us, 

 that some German soldiers, having taken possession of 

 an Italian fort, had frequently observed the lower class 

 of people convert frogs into a very savoury dish, and, 

 intending to imitate their cookery, by mistake com- 

 posed it entirely of toads. The Italians with delight 

 perceived their error, imagining their enemies would 

 fall victims to the poisonous qualities* of the dish ; but 



• N 4 



