ORDER BATRACHIA. 391 



and assists in grasping the female. The eggs are 

 fecundated at the moment in which they are laid : 

 the httle being which springs from them is called a 

 tadpole ; it is at first provided with a long fleshy tail, 

 a small horny beak, and has no other apparent 

 members but little fringes at the side of the neck ; 

 these disappear at the end of some days, and Swam- 

 merdam assures us, that they then sink under the 

 skin to form gills there. There are small and very 

 numerous tufts, attached to four cartilaginous arches, 

 placed on each side of the neck, adherent to the 

 hyoid bone and enveloped in a membranous tunic 

 covered by the general skin. The water which 

 comes through the mouth, passing into the intervals 

 of the cartilaginous arches, issues out sometimes by 

 two apertures, sometimes by one, either pierced 

 in the middle or at the left side of the external skin 

 according to the species. The hinder feet of the 

 tadpole are developed by Httle and little, and visibly. 

 The fore-feet are also developed, but under the skin, 

 which they afterwards pierce. The tail is re-ab- 

 sorbed by degrees. The beak falls and lets the true 

 jaws appear, which at first were soft and concealed 

 under the skin. The gills become obliterated and 

 leave the lungs alone to exercise the function 

 of respiration which they had shared with 

 them. The eye, which was only observable through 

 a transparent place in the skin of the tadpole, 

 is now discovered with its three lids. The intes- 

 tines, at first very long, slender, and turned 



