FROGS. 21 



ourselves, we cannot see the banks of our streams embellished by 

 the colours and animated with the gambols of these little animals 

 without pleasure. Why should we not follow with our eyes their 

 movements in our ponds, where they enliven the solitude without 

 disturbing its tranquillity. Frogs often leave the water, not only 

 to seek their nourishment, but to warm themselves in the sun. 

 When they repose thus, with the head lifted up, the body raised 

 in front and supported upon the hind feet, the attitude is more 

 that of an animal of higher organization than that of a mean and 

 humble Batrachian. Frogs feed on larvae, aquatic insects, worms, 

 and small mollusks. They choose their prey from living and 

 moving creatures ; for they set a watch, and when they perceive 

 it, they spring on it with great vivacity. A large Indian species 

 (R. tigrina) has been seen to prey occasionally upon young Spar- 

 rows. Far from being dumb, like many oviparous quadrupeds, 

 Frogs have the gift of voice. The females only make a pecu- 

 liar low growl, produced by the air which vibrates in the interior 

 of two vocal pouches placed on the sides of the neck ; but the 

 cry of the male is sonorous, and heard at a great distance : it 

 is a croak which the Greek poet, Aristophanes, endeavoured to 

 imitate by the inharmonic consonants, brekekurkoax, coax! It 

 is principally during rain, or in the evenings and mornings 

 of hot days, that Frogs utter their confused sounds. Their chant- 

 ing in monotonous chorus makes this sad melody very tiresome. 

 Under the feudal system, during the "good old times" of the 

 middle ages, which some people would like to bring back again, 

 the country seats of many of the nobility and country squires were 

 surrounded by ditches half full of water, all inhabited by a popu- 

 lation of croaking Frogs. Yassals and villains were ordered to 

 beat the water in these ditches morning and evening in order to 

 keep off the Frogs which troubled the sleep of the lords and 

 masters of the houses. Independent of the resounding and pro- 

 longed cries of which we have spoken, at certain times the male 

 Frog calls the female in a dull voice, so plaintive that the Romans 

 described it by the words "ololo," or "ololygo." "Truly," says 

 Lacepede, " the accent of love is always mingled with some 

 sweetness." 



When autumn arrives Frogs cease from their habitual voracity, 



