NATURALISTS CABINET. 



Food Useful structure of the tongue. 



Mr. Ray, in his " Wonders of the Creation/' 

 informs us that, as he was riding one afternoon 

 in Berkshire, he was much surprised at seeing an 

 immense multitude of frogs crossing the road. 

 On further examination he found two or three 

 acres of ground nearly covered with them ; they 

 were all proceeding in the same direction towards 

 some woods and ditches that were before them. 

 He, however, traced them back to the side of a 

 very large pond, which, in spawning time, he 

 was told always abounded so much with frogs, 

 that their croaking was frequently heard to a 

 great distance ; and he therefore naturally con- 

 cluded, that instead of being precipitated from 

 the clouds, they had been bred there, and had 

 been invited by a refreshing shower, which had 

 just before fallen, to go out either in pursuit of 

 food or of a more convenient habitation. 



As soon as the young acquire their complete 

 form, they surrender their vegetable food for the 

 smaller species of snails, worms, and insects ; and 

 the structure of their tongue is admirably adapted 

 to seize and secure this prey ; the root is attached 

 to the fore-part of the mouth, so that, when un- 

 employed, it lies with the tip towards the throat. 

 The animal, by this singular contrivance, is ena- 

 bled to bend it to a considerable distance out of 

 its mouth. When it is about to seize on any 

 object, it darts out with great agility, and the 

 prey is secured on its broad and jagged glutinous 



