THE TREE FROG. 65 



Experiments by Dr. Townson. 



found to have absorbed nearly half its own 

 weight of water. From other experiments, it 

 was discovered that these animals frequently ab- 

 sorbed nearly their whole weight of water ; and 

 that, as was clearly proved, by the under surface 

 only of the body. They will even absorb water 

 from wetted blotting-paper. Sometimes they 

 eject water with considerable force from their 

 bodies, to the quantity of a fourth part or more 

 of their own weight. Before the flies had dis- 

 appeared in autumn, the doctor collected for his 

 favorite tree frog, Musidora, a great quantity, 

 as winter provision. When he laid any of them 

 before her, she took no notice of them, but the 

 moment he moved them with his breath, she 

 sprung upon and ate them. Once, when flies 

 were scarce* the doctor cut some flesh of a tor* 

 toise into small pieces, and moved them by the 

 same means ; she seized them, but the instant 

 afterwards rejected them from her tongue. 

 After he had obtained her confidence she ate 

 from his fingers dead as well as living flies. 

 Frogs will leap at a moving shadow of any 

 small object; and, like toads, they will also soon 

 become sufficiently familiar to sit on the hand, 

 and be carried from one side of a room to the 

 other, to catch flies as they settle on the wall. 

 This gentleman accordingly made them his 

 guards, at Gottingen, for keeping these trouble- 

 some creatures from his desert of fruit, and they 

 performed their task highly to his satisfaction. 



VOL. VI. NO. 40, 1 



