FROGS AND THEIR USES. 



181 



of a large, healthy frog in a tub of water. His mode of respira- 

 tion under such circumstances is a lesson of itself, while the beau- 

 tiful rhythmic action of his limbs in propelling himself through 

 the water or diving beneath it is almost a complete treatise on 

 the art of swimming. Its action upon land is quite as instructive, 

 and the marvelous leaps and dives of one of these creatures can 

 be studied for a long time with a very considerable degree of 

 profit. Colton, in his Practical Zoology, especially invites the 

 student to "notice how the frog sits when at rest," and I can 

 heartily indorse the suggestion. Artists frequently miss it when 



Common Bullfrog. One half natural size. From a photograph hy Dr. Shufeldt. 



they come to represent a frog in the normal attitude of rest ; and 

 in my Scientific Taxidermy for Museums I was particular to de- 

 vote an entire plate to this subject, showing the plaster cast of a 

 large bullfrog taken from one of them in this position. But it is 

 the camera that catches these attitudes the best of all for us, and 

 last summer 1 paid very considerable attention to the photography 

 of adult living frogs. Most of these results were as fine as could 

 be desired, and one of the best of them is presented here as an 

 example (see figure). If one will take the trouble to compare this 

 with almost any of the pictures of frogs upon direct lateral 

 aspect that illustrate the very numerous works upon natural 



