^ , TAME FEOGS 171 



catch flies as they settle on the wall. This gentleman, accord- 

 inglj^, made them his guards for keeping the flies from his dessert 

 of fruit, and they performed their task highly to his satisfaction. 



Another, yet more remarkable frog, is told of by a Virginia 

 gentleman: ''Concerning this frog," says he, 'Mt has lived 

 many years with us and is a great favorite, and the greatest 

 curiosity is its becoming so remarkably tame. It had fre- 

 quented our door steps before our hall door some years before 

 my acquaintance commenced with it. My father had admitted it 

 for years on account of its size and color, and he visited it every 

 evening, when it would come forth at his summons, and by con- 

 stant feeding he brought it to be so tame that it would come to 

 him and look up as if expecting to be taken up and brought to 

 the table and fed on insects of all sorts. On presenting living 

 insects it fixes its eyes intently and remains motionless for a 

 while as if preparing for a strike, which is an instantaneous 

 throwing of its tongue to a great distance, upon which the 

 insect sticks fast to the tip by a glutinous matter. I can't say 

 how long my father had been acquainted with it ; from my 

 earliest recollection he spoke of it as ' Old Tom,' ' the old frog.' 

 I have known it for a great number of years — I can answer for 

 fifty-seven years. It makes its appearance (always a welcome 

 visitor) with warm weather and remains with us till fall, appear- 

 ing morning and evening to our great amusement, having been 

 trained to do many things, such as leaping, turning somersaults 

 holding alternately by its feet and hands to a small rope, swing- 

 ing and whirling, after the manner of a slack rope performer, 

 marching erect on its hmd legs, and at the word of command 

 going through the manual exercise. It seems perfectly good 

 nathred,* and never shows temper, but is dreadfully afraid of a 

 cat, on whose approach it will often leap four feet from the 

 floor, with the utmost precision, plump into the month of a 

 large stone water pitcher, and thus secure a safe retreat. Yet 

 it is in no wise alarmed or disturbed by the presence of dogs, 

 of which we have many about the premises. They all seem 

 to regard it as one of the household and a ^ privileged char- 

 acter.' " 



Were not this story apparently well attested we might donbt 

 some of the details, as our own experience has shown that, while 

 frogs are easily tamed, and may be taught quite readily to per- 

 form such simple feats as leaping, clinging to a string while 

 swinging, and the like, they yet seem to possess no aptitude for 

 learning any more elaborate feats. Some of our readers may, 

 perhaps, be as successful as this gentleman was, and in that 

 case we should be pleased to have them let us know of it. 



