436 



CLASS REPTILIA. 



the red frog of Europe had no voice. This, however, is only 

 true when the animal is out of the water. Daudin has ascer- 

 tained that in spring it sends forth some smothered cries 

 from the bottom of the marshes. 



As soon as the summer season is over and the weather 

 begins to be a little cold, the frogs lose their natural voracity 

 and give over eating. When the cold becomes more consi- 

 derable, they protect themselves from its rigour by sinking 

 into the mud of deep waters, in the holes of fountains, and 

 sometimes even in the earth. The quantity of frogs which 

 sometimes thus collect in one place, is so considerable that 

 they cover the soil to a foot in depth, and thousands of them 

 may be taken in a few moments. They interlace together 

 more closely in proportion to the intensity of the cold. This 

 seems to indicate that they find in their approximation an 

 augmentation of heat. 



In his voyage to the Icy Sea of America, Hearne informs 

 VIS that he has many times, under the moss, found frozen 

 frogs, whose legs might be broken without their exhibiting 

 any sign of life, but which resumed their motions when ex- 

 posed to a gentle heat. 



The reptiles of which we are speaking, thus pass the winter 

 in a state of most profound lethargy. Malpighi thinks that 

 during their time of retreat they are nourished by a fatty 

 matter contained in the vena-porta. This opinion is erro- 

 neous. The fat destined for alimentation in this case is con- 

 tained in peculiar kinds of epiploa, which we shall notice 

 when we come to speak of toads. 



But this state of torpor, which is comparable to death, 

 is soon dissipated in the early days of genial spring. On the 

 first returning warmth and radiance of the sun, the frogs 

 begin to bestir themselves, and obey the grand call of nature 

 in the reproduction of the species. Even before the conclu- 



