98 



last, which lived on to complete its change, and for a consi- 

 derable time afterwards. 



The little animal has now undergone its complete deve- 

 lopenient; and having become capable of respiring air by 

 true lungs, and of progressing with great freedom on land by 

 means of its hinder legs, it comes on shore to feed on small 

 insects and worms. Such multitudes of these newly per- 

 fected little beings are often found in damp weather enjoy- 

 ing their new scene of existence, as to have given rise to 

 many a story of its having rained Frogs ; a fable which is 

 still devoutly believed in many parts of the country. They 

 now grow with great rapidity during the remainder of the 

 year, until the approach of winter warns them to betake 

 themselves to their places of hibernation. But, in the mean 

 time, thousands of them have fallen a prey to their numerous 

 enemies ; even in the Tadpole state they are devoured by 

 hosts by the different species of newts, and small fishes , and 

 when adult, by pikes, and others of the larger species of fish, 

 many by the smaller carnivora, such as the weasel and the 

 polecat, and many by almost every species of water-fowl, 

 as well as by the Common Snake, of which they constitute 

 the principal food. Such is the destruction which thus takes 

 place amongst them at different periods of their growth, that 

 probably not one in a thousand that had emerged from the 

 egg in the spring, ever reaches its winter retreat. 



That the Frog is susceptible of being tamed to almost as 

 great a degree as the Toad, is proved by the following anec- 

 dote, for which I am indebted to my friend, Dr. William 

 Roots, of Kingston, who informs me that he " was in pos- 

 session for several years of a Frog in a perfect state of do- 

 mestication. It appears that the lower offices of his house 

 were what is commonly called underground, on the banks of 

 the Thames. That this little reptile accidentally appeared 



