£4 THE COMMON FROG. 



tached to the fore-part of the mouth, so that, when 

 unemployed, it lies with the tip towards the throat. 

 The animal by this singular contrivance is enabled 

 to bend it to a considerable distance out of its 

 mouth. When it is about to seize on any object, 

 it darts it out with great agility, and the prey is 

 secured on its broad and jagged glutinous extre- 

 mity. This it swallows with so instantaneous a 

 motion that the eye can scarcely follow it*. 



Nothing can appear more awkward and ludi- 

 crous than a Frog engaged with a large Worm or a 

 small Snake ; for nature seems to have put a re- 

 straint upon the voracity of these animals, by form- 

 ing them very inaptly for seizing and holding their 

 larger prey. Dr. Townson had a large Frog that 

 pne day swallowed in his presence a Blind-wormy 

 near a span long, which in its struggles frequently 

 got half its body out again : when completely swal- 

 lowed, its contortions were very visible in the 

 flaccid sides of its victor J. 



With respect to the popular superstition that 

 Frogs frequently descend from the clouds, Mr. Ray 

 informs us that, as he was riding one afternoon in 

 Berkshire, he was much surprised at seeing an im- 

 mense multitude of Frogs crossing the road. On 

 further examination he found two or three acres of 

 ground nearly covered with them ; they were all 

 proceeding in the same direction, towards some 

 woods and ditches that were before them. H$ 



* Shaw's Gen. Zool. iii. 97. 



Jtnguis fragilis of Linnaeus. % Townson's Tracts. 



