THE COMMON FROG. -2$ 



torn of stagnant waters, or in the hollows beneath 

 their banks. 



Its spawn, which is cast generally in the month 

 of March, consists of a clustered mass of gelatinous 

 transparent and spherical eggs, from six hundred 

 to a thousand in' number, in the middle of each 

 of which is contained the embryo or tadpole, in the 

 form of a black globule. The spawn lies a month 

 or five weeks, according to the heat of the weather, 

 before the larva* or tadpoles are hatched. 



The tadpole, as in several other species, is fur- 

 nished with a kind of small tubular sucker beneath 

 the lower jaw, by means of which it hangs at plea- 

 sure to the under surface of aquatic plants. The 

 interior organs, when closely examined, are found 

 to differ in many respects from those of the future 

 Frog. The intestines, in particular, are coiled into 

 a fiat spiral form, somewhat resembling a cable in 

 miniature. When the animal is about six weeks old, 

 the hind-legs appear, and in about a fortnight these 

 are succeeded by the fore-legs: in this state it 

 seems to have alliance both to the Frog and Lizard. 

 Not long afterwards the form is completed, and it, 

 for the first time, ventures upon land. Frogs are 

 at this period often seen wandering about the brinks 

 of the water, in such multitudes as to astonish 

 mankind, and induce a belief, among the vulgar, ot 

 their having descended in showers from the clouds. 



They now surrender their vegetable food for the 

 smaller species of snails, worms, and insects ; and 

 the structure of their tongue is admirably adapted 

 to seize and secure this prey : the root is at- 



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