SOME HINTS ON NATURAL HISTORY SPECIMENS, 649 
sionally, I must admit, Mr. Boulenger in his book ‘does vouchsafe us 
a note on some habit of a species, and as an example I mention one 
that will serve to show what the opportunities are for investiga- 
tion among this class. Regarding the Bull-frog (Rana tégrina)— 
the largest of all our Indian species, that is found all over the country, 
from the base cf the Himalayas to Ceylon, not to mention the whole 
Malay Peninsula and Archipelago, and China—we are informed 
that it “‘ is said, when frightened, to jump over the surface of the 
water much in the same way ason land.” To this the editor of the 
work puts a footnote as follows :—‘ The species that is so well known 
by this habit in India has never been accurately determined. It is, 
however, a smaller species than FR. tigrina, and is, I think, 2. eyano- 
phiyctis. . Probably R, hewadactyla has the same habit.” 
Judging by this it is very evident that our knowledge of even the 
best known of our Indian frogs is very far from complete, and if our 
Society is to continue to occupy the position that it has since those 
original 6 members met together and formed it, and if we are to 
show results in any way commensurate with the enormously increased 
membership of recent years, it can only be by the help of members 
generally in every department. In our Museum we have nothing 
that can be considered in any way even as a nucleus of a representa- 
tive collection of amphibians, and on looking through the whole 
series of our Journals one must search deep for any reference to or 
notes on them. It may perhaps be contended that frogs are not an 
interesting subject, and that there is little or nothing to record of 
their habits. Believe me such is not'the case: with any animal if we 
will only take the trouble to know him as he is at home, and is cer- 
taily not true of frogs: uninteresting they may appear to some, but I 
venture to think that it will be found the holders of such views are 
just those who haye never attempted to improve their acquaintance 
with the gentle froggie, and consequently are least qualified to form 
an opinion. There is, undoubtedly, if one comes to think of it, much 
to be observed and learned regarcing him ; for instance, what style of 
neighbourhood does he inhabit ? What time of day or night does 
he take his food, and of what does. it consist ? What kinds of birds 
or beasts are especially partial to him as an article of diet? What 
time of the year are the eggs laid ? How long is it before they 
