FROGS, TOADS AND SOME GRAY-HAIRED LIES 439 



out the obnoxious mouse in a manner that set the 

 spectators in a roar of laughter. Since then he has 

 devoured many live mice with apparent relish, all 

 of which he swallowed tail foremost, keeping up 

 a lively kicking and scratching with fore and hind 

 feet to prevent his prey from curling up and bit- 

 ing. Enough water is always kept in the globe to 

 keep its inmate moist, but too shallow to drown 

 a mouse. The wily batrachian is well aware of 

 this fact, for it was not until nothing but the 

 head and forefeet of the mouse protruded from 

 between his jaws that he bent his head down, 

 holding it and the mouse under water until the 

 latter was suffocated before it was finally gulped 

 down. Partly to make a more even fight and 

 partly as an experiment to see what the frog would 

 do under the circumstances, before putting 

 in a large male mouse, we emptied all the 

 water from the globe. Then ensued a chase ; round 

 and round went the mouse, trying in vain to scale 

 the glassy walls, but never missing an opportunity 

 to give the frog a savage nip with its sharp teeth. 

 Round and round plunged the batrachian after 

 him. Once he caught the mouse by the tail, where- 

 upon the mouse turned and mounted the slimy 

 back of his enemy and bit him severely; but quicker 

 than thought the powerful hind leg of the fro^ 

 swept the mouse from his back and dashed it 

 viciously against the side of the globe. 



The battle had commenced and lasted about five 

 minutes, when by a lucky snap the frog got the 



