THE SOLITARY FROG. 163 



rejoicing in his freedom. The young soon burst their way through the envelopes in 

 which they had been surrounded, and swim off merrily. 



Except at such times, the Nurse Frog is seldom seen in the vicinity of water, and 

 even at that season, the creature does not care to swim about or even to enter the 

 water. The color of this species is olive-brown with small dark spots. Several speci- 

 mens, with their eggs, may be seen in the collection of the British Museum. 



THE very odd-looking species which is popularly and appropriately termed the 

 SOLITARY FROG is a native of North America, and is remarkable for several peculiar- 

 ities of form, the eye and the foot being chiefly notable. 



It is a land-loving species, never seen in or near water except during the breeding 

 season. During the greater part of the year it resides in holes which it scoops in the 

 sandy soil, and at the bottom of which it sits watching for prey, much like a gigantic 

 ant-lion. In order to assist it in digging, the animal is furnished with a flat, sharp-edged 

 spur, with which it scoops out the loose soil. Sometimes, however, it wedges itself 

 into the sand, tail foremost, and shovels its way downwards much after the fashion 

 of the crab. The hole is about six inches in depth. 



SOLITARY FROG. Scaphtopus solltarlus. 



Quick though it is in this labor, it is but a sluggish and inactive creature when com- 

 pared with most of its kin, being a very poor leaper, and slow in most of its movements. 

 It is generally to be seen in the month of March, just after the spring rains, and is a 

 very hardy species, caring little for cold, and traversing the snow without apparent 

 inconvenience. 



The eye of the Solitary Frog is very beautiful, and at the same time most remarkable. 

 It is large, full, and of a rich topaz hue, and across its centre run two bold black lines 

 at right angles to each other, so as to form a cross very like that which is seen upon 

 starch grains when viewed by polarized light. 



Altogether, the aspect of this species is very unique. It looks much more like a 

 toad than a frog, and has a remarkably blunt snout. Its general color is olive, mottled 

 with brown above, and covered with tubercles. Along each side of the spine runs a 

 line of " king's yellow," and the under parts are yellowish white. The average length 

 of the Solitary Frog rather exceeds two inches. 



