210 The Under-Water World 



the water they may remain in a larval 

 stage indefinitely, provided they are 

 given sufficient vegetable food to support 

 life. 



Certain frogs, Xenopus of Tropical and 

 South Africa, Hymenochirus of Tropical 

 Africa, and Pipa of Tropical America, 

 are purely aquatic and never leave 

 the water. In conformation with their 

 aquatic life, the eyelids are absent, the 

 nostrils and eyes are situated on the top 

 of the head and the toes are very broadly 

 webbed. So broadly webbed, in fact, are 

 the toes in the African Clawed Frog 

 (Xenopus) that when expanded they 

 resemble half -opened umbrellas. The 

 tadpoles of this creature are remarkable 

 in possessing large tentacles balancing 

 organs situated on either side of the 

 head and which, when fully developed, 

 obtain a length equal to that of the head 

 and body. 



It would be reasonable to suppose that 



