THE BULL-FROG. 155 



life for the greater part of its existence, living in a hole near the water, and seldom leaving its 

 domicile by day unless when suddenly alarmed. If frightened by an unknown sound or sight, 

 the Bull-Frog leaps at once into the water, and instead of diving to the bottom immediately, 

 skims along the surface for a few yards before it disappears. 



During the breeding season, these huge Frogs assemble together in great multitudes, 

 congregating to the amount of four or five hundred in some pool or marsh, sitting with their 

 bodies half submerged, and making night hideous with their horrid bellowing cries. Few 

 persons, except those who have had personal experience, and who have lost night after night 

 of needful sleep by the ceaseless noise, can imagine the loudness of voice and variety of tone 

 possessed by the different species of Frogs. And travellers who lie awake at night, unwilling 

 hearers of the nocturnal conceits, are disposed to envy the happy ignorance of those whose 

 calmer lot is cast in countries where the drummings, bellowings, chatterings, and pipings of 

 the Frog race are practically unknown. Among these nightly musicians the Bull-Frog is the 

 loudest and most pertinacious ; mostly remaining quiet by day, but sometimes exulting in a 

 black cloud or a heavy shower, and raising its horrid din even in the hours of daylight. 



It is a most voracious creature, feeding mostly on snails and similar prey, which it catches 

 on its nocturnal excursions from its domicile, but often devouring animals of a larger size, 

 such as crayfish, two of which crustaceans have been found in the stomach of a single Bull- 

 Frog, and even gobbling down an occasional chicken or duckling. Taking advantage of its 

 voracity, the inhabitants of the country are in the habit of catching it by means of a rod and 

 line. The hook is generally baited with an insect, and gently drawn along the ground near 

 the Frog, which leaps upon it, seizes it, and is hooked without difficulty. It is rather curious 

 that the Frog will not touch the insect as long as it is allowed to rest quietly on the ground, 

 but as soon as the line is pulled, so as to make the insect move, it is at once pounced 

 upon. The common Frogs and toads have the same custom. 



The flesh of the Bull-Frog is very delicately flavored, and in some places the creature 

 is kept hi captivity and fed for table. 



This species is exceedingly active, making leaps of eight or ten feet in length and five feet 

 in height. There is a well-known story of a race between a Bull-Frog and an Indian, the 

 former to have three jumps in advance, and the distance about forty yards, to a pond from 

 which the Frog had been taken. AVhen the parties were ready to start, the glowing tip of a 

 burning stick was applied to the Bull-Frog, which set off at such a rate, and made such 

 astonishing leaps to get into the welcome water, that its human opponent was vanquished 

 in the race. 



In some places this creature is never disturbed, as it is supposed, perhaps with some 

 justice, to aid in keeping the water pure. The popular name of Bull-Frog is derived from its 

 cry, which is said to resemble the bellowing of the animal whose name it bears. Several 

 species of Frog have been classed under the same popular name. 



The color of the Bull-Frog is brown, mottled with black above, and taking a greener hue 

 upon the head. The abdomen is grayish-white, and the thi'oat is wdiite dotted with green. 

 The length of the head and body of the large species is rather more than six inches, and a fine 

 specimen 'will sometimes measure nineteen or twenty inches from the nose to the extremity of 

 its feet. The skin of the back is smooth, and without any longitudinal fold. 



There is another tolerably common species inhabiting the same country, which is 

 also popularly called the Bull-Frog. It may be readily distinguished from the bull-Frog, 

 which it otherwise greatly resembles, by the presence of a glandular fold on each side of the 

 back. It is a very noisy creature, with a sharper and more yelping cry than the preceding 

 species. When disturbed, it shoots at once into the water, and there sets up its peculiar cry. 

 It is more active than the common bull-Frog, and if once released, is almost certain to escape, 

 from the great length and rapidity of its leaps, the creature never seeming to pause between 

 two jumps, but springing off the earth with an instantaneous rebound not unlike the flying- 

 leaps of the jerboa or kangaroo. It is a moisture-loving species, and is never found far 

 from water. 



