FROGS 158 



the fields, the frogs jump off and " plop " into the water at every 

 step one takes. In the early morning, after a rainy night, the 

 noise of their croaking is very loud, almost deafening, as they 

 apparently find the increased depth of water much to their liking. 



From some small structural peculiarities, many of the Mada- 

 gascar frogs have been arranged in a distinct genus, called 

 Mantidactylus, and of this genus at least sixteen species have 

 been described. Of the widely distributed genus Rana, one 

 species, R. fasciata, is said by a careful observer to build a kind 

 of nest. These frogs construct regular passages under the 

 grass during the dry season ; their paths are made as regularly 

 as those of a mole, by the little creatures pressing down the 

 short grass near the earth, and drawing together the longer 

 blades, thus rendering them invisible. The nests are from 

 eight to ten inches in diameter by four in height, and made 

 ingeniously by weaving the layers of grass together. When 

 frightened, these frogs throw out a limpid stream of water, 

 which has been stored up in time of need, as in very dry weather, 

 and which is distributed over the body, so as to keep the whole 

 of it moist. The tree-frogs are very pretty little creatures, their 

 light green colour exactly matching that of the leaves on which 

 they live, so that it is difficult to detect their presence, except by 

 close inspection. Their toes end in small disks, so as to adhere 

 closely to the smooth surface of the leaves. 



We have already seen that many of the living creatures of 

 Madagascar gain great protection from enemies from the 

 assimilation of their colour to that of their surroundings. This 

 is the case also with many species of grasshopper and of mantis. 

 You see an insect with bright scarlet wings flit by you and settle 

 on a bush ; wanting to observe it more closely, you try to find 

 it, but it has disappeared, and not a vestige of bright colour is 

 to be seen. Still, if you are patient and search carefully, you 

 may presently see a mantis moving its head about in an uncanny 

 fashion, and its fore legs held up in a mock devotional attitude, 

 from which its specific name of Religiosa has been given it. But 

 the scarlet wings are folded under its green wing-cases so as to 

 be perfectly unseen, and these coverings are just like a leaf, the 

 rest of its body being exactly the colour of its resting-place. In 

 some of the grasshoppers, this mimicry of vegetable forms is 

 still more wonderful. Here is one which resembles green grass, 



