JO THE BULL FROG. 



single spring that has not a pair of them. When 

 suddenly surprised, by a long leap or two they enter 

 the hole, at the bottom of which they lie perfectly 

 secure. The inhabitants fancy that they purify the 

 water, and respect them as genii of the fountains*. 

 — Kalm informs us that they frequent only ponds 

 and marshes. 



Their croaking is said somewhat to resemble the 

 hoarse lowing of a bull ; and when, in a calm 

 night, many of them are making a noise toge_ 

 ther, they may be heard to the distance of a 

 mile and a half. The night is the time w r hen they 

 croak, and they are said to do it at intervals. In 

 this act they are either hidden among the grass or 

 rushes, or they are in the water, with their heads 

 above the surfacef. Kalm informs us that, as he 

 was one day riding out, he heard one of them 

 roaring before him, and supposed it to be a bull 

 hidden in the bushes at a little distance. The 

 voice was indeed more hoarse than that of a bull, 

 yet it was much too loud for him to conceive that 

 it could be emitted by so small an animal as a 

 Frog, and he was in considerable alarm for his 

 safety. He was undeceived a few hours afterwards, 

 by a party of Swedes, to whom he had communi- 

 cated his fearsj. 



When alarmed they leap to a most surprising 

 distance at each exertion. A full-grown Bull Frog 

 will sometimes leap three yards. The following 



* Cateshy, li. 7%, i La Hontan. J Kalm, ii. 170. 



