ORDER IV. BATRACHIA.—FROGS. AND TOADS. 139 
lives solely upon aquatie vegetation, whilst the adult animal preys on insects 
and other animal substances. Finally, the limbs of the Tadpole reproduce 
the parts of them that had been mutilated, nearly as in the Newts. 
“The particular epoch of these several changes varies according to the 
species. 
“In temperate and cold climates, the perfect animal buries itself, during 
winter, under ground, or in the mud below the surface of water, where it 
continues to live without food or respiration, beyond what of the latter is 
effected by the surface of the skin.” 
The active powers of this animal are astonishingly great, when compared 
with its unwieldy shape; it is the best swimmer of all four-footed animals, 
and Nature has finely adapted it for those ends, the arms being light and 
pliant, the legs long, and endowed with great muscular strength. 
The portion of brain which the Frog possesses is much less than might 
be supposed from its make; the swallow is wide, and the stomach narrow, 
though capable of being’ distended to an astonishing size; the heart, as in 
all other animals that are truly amphibious, has but one ventricle, so that 
the blood can circulate, whilst it is under water, without any assistance from 
the lunes; these resemble a number of small bladders, joined together like 
the cells of a honey-comb, and can be distended or exhausted at the crea- 
ture’s will. 
A single female produces from six to eleven hundred eggs at a time; but 
this only happens once a year. The male is of a grayish brown color, but 
the skin of the female is of a yellow hue; these colors grow deeper with 
every change, which frequently happens every eighth day. The Frog gen- 
erally lives out of the water; but, when the cold nights set in, it returns to 
its native place, always making choice of those stagnant waters, at the bot- 
tom of which it is most likely to remain concealed ; there it remains torpid 
during the winter season; but it is roused into activity by the genial warmth 
of spring. The croaking of these animals has long been considered as the 
certain symptom of approaching rain; and no weather-glass can describe a 
change of season with more accuracy than this vociferous tribe; and we 
could hardly imagine that a creature of that size could send forth sounds 
that would extend the distance of three miles. All very dry and hot seasons 
are allowed to be injurious to the health of these animals; and, as they live 
chiefly upon snails and worms, at those periods they find it difficult to pro- 
cure a sufficiency of food. “The method they adopt to ensnare these unsus- 
pecting creatures affords entertainment to the curious mind. When they 
observe their destined prey approaching, for some moments they remain 
immoyably fixed, and, when they are sufficiently near, spring suddenly 
upon them, at the same time darting their long tongue from their mouth, 
