THE FROG. 60 



to have procured frog's spawn from England and placed it in a ditch in the 

 University Park, whence the species gradually spread over the entire 

 country. The circumstance is noticed in the Dublin Med. and Chem. 

 Jour. vol. V. N. 15, p. 481, as quoted in Edinb. Phil. Jour. vol. xviii. p. 372, 

 also in Bell's History of British Reptiles, p. 86, where will be found an ex- 

 tract from the writings of Swift in which the introduction of these animals 

 is referred to. The year 1696 is mentioned by the latter authorities as 

 that in which Dr. Guithers made the importation. 



In Stuart's History of Armagh the following passage occurs, — 



"The first frog which was ever seen in this country made its appearance in a 

 pasture-field near Waterford about the year 16-3(), and is noticed by Colgan hi a 

 work printed in 1647 [Tria. Thorn, p. 256]." — Stuart's Armagh, p. 504. 



Dubourdieu, in his History of Down, published in 1802, remarks, — 

 " I was assui-ed by an old gentleman of the greatest veracity, who died some 

 years ago above the age of eighty, that the first frogs he ever saw were in a well 

 near Moira, from whence he brought some of them to Waringstown, where, until 

 that time, they had never been seen; the quickness with which they multiplied, 

 and the rapidity with which they spread, were surprising." P. 316. 



The following note, which has been supplied to me by a friend, has re- 

 ference to the County of Antrim. 



" My grandmother, who I find was born 8th January, 1726, used to tell 

 me, that when a girl at school she was taken some distance to see a frog 

 which was exhibited as a show. Her father lived at Ballycorr in this 

 county, so this applies to the North of Ireland." 



When at Florence Court, in October, 1840, Lord Enniskillen told me 

 that frogs brought from the top of a neighbouring hill thirteen hundred 

 feet high had been seen by an eminent Professor when there, who was 

 disposed to believe them distinct from the common species. Lord E. had 

 some brought for me from the locality, and on comparing these with 

 specimens taken in the demesne, and subsequently with others, I could not 

 perceive any material difference. 



A frori taken in Ayrshire and compared with the Florence Court 

 specimens (high and low ground) does not to my mind exhibit specific 

 differences : its colour certainly is different from that of others, it being 

 more spotted ; but frogs differ greatly in this respect. It possesses the 

 " elongated ])atch of brown or brownish black behind the eyes," which 

 Jenyns and Bell consider the most constant mark exhibited in the com- 

 mon frog. — Bell, p. 100. 



Aufi. 12, 1845. — In two pools in quarries about Sandy Braes, County 

 Antrim, I saw numbers of tadpoles of true form, and some otliers exhibit- 

 ing the mere rudiments of the 2nd pair or " hind legs : " others that had 

 just put off the tadpole and were veritable frogs were seen on the dry 

 margin of the pools, but not one in the water. Baron Watershausen was 

 with me. 



On 11th October, 1839, I heard frogs croaking at Fortwilliam, near 

 Belfast. I was within a short distance of them and saw them. 



Feb. 17, 1850. — Although the winter has been very severe, and the 

 weather of late, and to-day, cold and inclement, I never saw a greater 

 number of frogs together tlian there were in and about a stagnant pool on 

 the north side of the old Malone road, near to Lismoyne entrance gate. 

 They had cast a profusion of spawn, and appeared with their heads and 

 white throats above the surface of the water. The midtitudinous croak- 

 ing of several hundi'eds of them at the saine time had a singular and, 



