Oct. 15, 1 8 74 J 



NATURE 



with golden rain. Tlie falling motion was very slow. I think 

 it was visible for two minutes after the explosion, but though we 

 tried more, than once to consult our watches, the light was 

 insufficient. Henry H. Higgins 



RainhiU, Oct. II 



An exceedingly brilliant meteor was seen here about 8.50 on 

 Sunday evening, which was so bright that it attracted general 

 attention, the light from it being as strong as an unusually bright 

 flash of lightning, but more white. On looking up I saw, near 

 the zenith, a long almost straight and uninternipted ribbon of 

 light, somewhat pointed at the end towards the north-east. 

 After watching it for some time and noticing that it retained its 

 brilliancy, I began slowly counting, and counted up to twenty 

 before there was any noticeable diminution of luminosity. The 

 last portion visible was the end opposite the pointed end, which 

 ajipeared as a faintly luminous patch as large as the apparent 

 disc of the moon. I consider that, from its first appearance, it 

 was visible from So to 100 seconds. 



Wistiech, Oct. II A. Balding 



Rainbows 

 As a supplement to the description of a " Double Rainbow," 

 published by Prof. Tait in Nature, vol. x. p. 437, the following 

 diagram may V^e of interest to your re:iders. It represents a 

 phenomenon which was seen here a few days ago, and one which 

 I should think must be of very rare occurrence. 



It will be observed that all the four bows were incomplete, 

 but this only arose from the accidental cause mentioned by Prof. 

 Tait. The two extra bows were due to reflection/roiji a calm 

 sea. 



It may (lerhaps be remembered that about eighteen months 

 ago I published in Nature a verbal description of a rainbow 

 similar to that now figured by Prof. Tait ; only I was fortunate 

 enough to see the bows complete and extraordinarily brilliant. 

 Hence there were three bows, thus : — 



I presume that the presence of the fourth bow, as shown in 

 the first diagram, is to be accounted for by the reflection from 

 the sea having been sufficiently bright to give rise to a double 

 concentric bow. George J. Romanes 



Dunskaith, Ross-shire, Oct. 3 



In refcraice to Mr. Tait's letter in Nature, vol. x. p. 460, 

 it may interest some of your readers to hear that our party saw 

 a very perfect lunar rainbow at North Malvern, Worcestershire, 



on the evening of July 27, this year. The bow was so perfect 

 that the colours were easily distinguishable — tliat is, of course, 

 the main colouis. The appearance lasted about five or ten 

 minutes (10.35 '0 I0'45 I'-^i-) John Latciimore, Jun. 



Leicester, Oct. 12 



The Cry of the Frog 



With reference to the power of the frog to cry out, I may 

 mention that while in India, as I was walking in my garden after 

 dusk during the rainy season, when a peculiar kind of enormous 

 green frog make their appearance for a few weeks, I was sur- 

 prised to hear a cry exceedingly like that of a baby. On sending 

 for a light I 'found a large frog, with a small one in its throat 

 which it was apparently swallowing, while the small frog, the 

 snout of which was just perceptible, was shrieking in the way I 

 describe. On tapping the big frog sharply on the back, the little 

 frog jumped out and made oil. 



Leamington, Oct. 10 J. P. G. 



I hav'E on three different occasions heard a frog expostulate 

 in the manner described by Mr. Molt. One did so on being 

 patted inquisitively by a eat ; the tv.'o others on being examined 

 liy a little dog. In each case the frog was of so unusually vivid 

 a yellow as to suggest that it was either a variety of the common 

 frog, or that it was in some unusual condition. Is Mr. Mott's 

 frog equally brilliant ? I may add that my three were also 

 Leicestershire frogs. E. H. 



Oct. 13 



It may interest your correspondent who has elicited what he 

 believes to be a cry of fear Irom a frog, to know that an ex- 

 planation of this cry — which is probably but the croaking 

 experiment or Quackversuch of Goltz — is given at p. 201 of the 

 recently issued volume of the West Riding Asylum Reports 

 in the 'very remarkable paper by Dr. Lauder Brunton, on 

 "Inhibition, Peripheral and Central." The extract is too long 

 for quotation. H. W. P. 



Oct. 13 



I REMEMBER as a boy being rather startled by a shrill wailing 

 cry which proceeded from a small pond, and on running to the 

 spot I found a common snake in the act of swallowing a frog. 

 They were on the surface of the water in the middle of the pool ; 

 the hinder part of the frog had aheady disappeared, and the 

 terrified creature was crying piteously. He proved, however, 

 too big a mouthful to be readily disposed of, and when by the 

 aid of a long stick I interrupted the banquet and released him, 

 he dived away apparently unhurt. 



Though I have lived much in the country, I never heard a 

 frog cry but on this occasion. I have often se;n them played with, 

 tumbled about, and patted by dogs and cats, as described by 

 your correspondent F. T. Mott, but they have always borne the 

 indignity in silence. F. Baden Benger 



Manchester, Oct. 10 



The Edible Frog 



It is stated in Bell's " History of British Reptiles," 2nd edit., 

 p. Ill, that the Edible Frog {Kaiia t-.t«//i.'«/(0 was captured for 

 the first time in this country in Foulmiie Fen, Cambridgeshire, 

 in 1843. Mr. Bell received some specimens which on com- 

 parison he identified as belonging to the continental species, he 

 having at that time some living ones obtained from France. 

 Mr. Bond, who had written to the Zooloi^ist on this subject, said 

 "the whole fen was quite in a charm with their song." Their 

 very remarkable and sonorous croak had procured for these frogs 

 the name of "Cambridgeshire nightingales." 



I have recently been informed that this reptile was introduced 

 from France some fifty years ago, and turned loose in the south 

 of Cambridgeshire ; and that very recently some one who is 

 partial to the dish called " Frog-pie " has introduced the animal 

 into Norfolk. But I cannot obtain any satisfactory information 

 as to the naturalisation of the reptile. Are those brought into 

 this country dying out ? If not, they do not seem to have reached 

 Norfolk, and I cannot find any in this neighbourhood. Is, theij, 

 the liana esculcuta to be regarded as a British reptile ? II any 

 of the readers of Nature can inform me whether they have 

 obtained it in the Fen district, I should be much obliged. 



Wisbech, Oct. 9 Saml. H. Miller 



