36 THE WAY LIFE BEGINS 



lungs, and to endow him with the instincts of a land animal. 

 It is no wonder, then, that amid these great changes many of 

 the tadpoles which escape their enemies, die. 



Metamorphosis 



We have no common English term to give just the meaning 

 of the far-reaching change that this word, metamorphosis, 

 implies. There is the change of form (morphosis), but there 



FIGURE 2 



Six steps in the early growth of the frog embryo are shown here. Each stage is surrounded 

 by its jelly envelop. 



The fertilized egg I, divides into two cells II; a second division at right angles to the first, 

 results in four cells III. Cell division continues until a hollow ball is formed IV. The 

 embryo lengthens V (a section through the long axis of the embryo) and takes on the shape of 

 the tadpole VI. 



is also a play of higher (meta) forces drawing the tadpole out 

 of his tadpoleness into a larger life. 



Tadpole and frog overlap. Before the poliwog days are 

 ended, he ceases to eat and apparently lives on the substance 

 stored up in his tail, and the fat he has accumulated. By and 

 by the tail is reduced to a stump, the hind legs lengthen, the 

 mouth broadens, the eye becomes large and prominent, the 

 body shortens, and many other changes take place, until, 



