THE SIGNAL 29 



" Yes, really truly ; you see, as I told you, we 

 are very superior frogs," and the pygmy cleared 

 his throat and joined the chorus for a moment, 

 merely to prove that he could. 



" All the marsh things seem to be very proud of 

 themselves," thought Anne, but she only said : 



" What is your name ? I suppose you must 

 have one." 



" Yes, certainly ; my name is Hyla Pickering. 

 Hyla is the family name, but when Flowers, 

 Beasts, and Birds are given high sounding names, 

 the last is always put first. I have a cousin who 

 doesn't begin to sing so early in the spring, and 

 though he isn't nearly as handsome as I am, what 

 do you suppose he can do?" 



"Jump a hundred feet at once," guessed Anne. 



" No, he can turn any colour he pleases. If he 

 sits on a gray mossy stone, he can look gray and 

 mossy ; if he goes on a fresh green plant, he turns 

 green ; and if he wishes to go to sleep on a branch 

 with a mottled bark, he can grow mottled. So 

 his name is Hyla Change-colour." 



" How wonderful ! " exclaimed Anne, forgetting 

 where she was, and nearly stepping into the water. 



" Heart of Nature lets him do this so that his 

 enemies may not see him, also that he may catch 

 his own food unseen." 



