154 THE BULL-FROG. 



It is thought by many persons to rank among the handsomest of the froggish tribe. The 

 general color is light golden-green, variegated with four rows of olive spots, edged with rich 

 gold. One regular row of these spots runs along each side of the spine, and the others are 

 scattered rather vaguely along the sides. The throat is white with a silvery lustre, and the 

 abdomen whitish-yellow. The aural vesicles are brown, with a circular centre of azure-blue, 

 and look like two little targets on the side of the head. The eyes are very large, of a beauti- 

 ful golden lustre, and with a bold black streak drawn horizontally through their centre. The 

 •legs are exceedingly long in proportion to the size of the body, being five inches in length, 

 whereas the body measures scarcely three inches. This length of limb and lightness of body 

 adds greatly to the leaping powers, for which this creature is so celebrated. 



The Shad-Frog is called also the Leopard Frog, as well as Shad-Frog in Pennsylvania. It 

 inhabits North America generally. 



The Green Frog (Rami clamitans), called also Spring Frog, inhabits the United States 

 east of the Rocky Mountains. It is a handsome species — bright green, spotted with black. 



The Wood Fi:<><; (Ran a temporaria) is a European species, common in all eastern 

 portions of the United States. Two varieties are recognized. 



The Solitary Spade-foot (Scaphiopus) is a curious form, inhabiting sparsely the eastern 

 United States. 



The common Tree Toad {Hyla versicolor) is very abundant and familiar in the eastern 

 Middle States. Its length is about two inches. //. pickeringii, Pickering's Frog, is less 

 common. H. andersonii, Anderson's Frog, is quite rare. Pickering's is about one inch 

 in length. 



The Tree Frog {Chorophilus triseriatus) inhabits the eastern portion of the United 

 States. 



The Cricket Froo (Acris gryllus) has the same habitat. A variety, crepetans, is 

 enumerated as a North American form — railed the Western Cricket. 



Another very common and very pretty Frog is abundant in the eastern United States. 

 This is the Pickerel Frog, so called because it enjoys a sad pre-eminence among anglers as a 

 bait for pike, too fortunate if it can be snapped up at once by the voracious fish, instead of 

 dangling for a season in mid-water, with a hook delicately inserted under its skin so as to 

 keep it lively as long as possible, and prevent it from losing by death its attractive 

 appearance. 



It is mostly found in or near the salt marshes, and is remarkable for possessing a 

 powerful and extremely disagreeable odor. In spite, however, of this seeming draw- 

 back, its fiesh is said to be very delicate, and to be quite as good as that of the edible 

 Frog of Europe. 



The coloring of this species is very striking, on account of its irregularly squared aspect. 

 Tlie ground tint is pale brown above, covered with moderately large square spots of dark 

 brown arranged like the stones of a tesselated pavement, and producing a somewhat regular 

 pattern. A blight yellow line, not raised above the general surface, runs from behind each 

 eye, and the under parts are yellowish-white. It is quite a little Frog, being under three 

 inches in length. 



Upon the accompanying oleograph is presented the figure of the celebrated Bull-Froo of 

 America (Rana catesbiana), one of the largest and most conspicuous of its kind. 



This enormous batrachian is perhaps the best swimmer among the Frog race, having been 

 known to live for several years in water without any support for its feet. It leads a solitary 



