﻿60 
  INTRODUCTION. 
  

  

  The 
  second 
  is 
  the 
  supposed 
  showers 
  of 
  frogs 
  and 
  

   toads, 
  believed 
  to 
  fall 
  with 
  the 
  rain, 
  and 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  

   carried 
  by 
  a 
  waterspout, 
  some 
  narrators 
  of 
  the 
  

   phenomenon 
  even 
  stating 
  to 
  have 
  received 
  them 
  on 
  

   their 
  hats 
  or 
  open 
  umbrellas. 
  But 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  

   these 
  so-called 
  showers 
  consist 
  of 
  young 
  frogs, 
  

   never 
  of 
  larvge, 
  and 
  only 
  occur 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  

   metamorphosis 
  of 
  the 
  common 
  species, 
  when 
  myriads 
  

   leave 
  the 
  water 
  and 
  conceal 
  themselves 
  in 
  holes 
  

   and 
  fissures 
  in 
  the 
  soil, 
  whence 
  they 
  suddenly 
  emerge 
  

   when 
  the 
  rain 
  falls, 
  sufficiently 
  accounts 
  for 
  the 
  

   phenomenon. 
  Half 
  blinded 
  by 
  the 
  rain, 
  people, 
  

   startled 
  at 
  the 
  sudden 
  appearance 
  of 
  these 
  legions 
  of 
  

   tiny 
  Batrachians 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  around 
  them, 
  actually 
  

   fancy 
  they 
  feel 
  them 
  falling, 
  the 
  delusion 
  being 
  further 
  

   enhanced 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  baby 
  tree-frogs, 
  which, 
  under 
  

   the 
  circumstances, 
  climb 
  up 
  their 
  clothes. 
  

  

  The 
  third 
  belief, 
  in 
  live 
  frogs 
  and 
  toads 
  enclosed 
  in 
  

   stones, 
  hardly 
  deserves 
  refutation, 
  when 
  we 
  know 
  that 
  

   air, 
  moisture, 
  and 
  food 
  are 
  indispensable 
  to 
  these 
  

   creatures. 
  If 
  every 
  case 
  could 
  be 
  properly 
  investi- 
  

   gated, 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  found 
  that 
  the 
  quarry 
  workman, 
  

   from 
  whom 
  such 
  tales 
  invariably 
  originate, 
  has 
  been 
  

   the 
  victim 
  of 
  a 
  delusion, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  Batrachian 
  he 
  

   fancied 
  to 
  have 
  hopped 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  stone 
  he 
  was 
  break- 
  

   ing 
  lay 
  concealed 
  close 
  to 
  it 
  unobserved, 
  and 
  jumped 
  

   from 
  its 
  retreat 
  at 
  the 
  blow 
  of 
  the 
  hammer. 
  

  

  And, 
  finally, 
  it 
  remains 
  to 
  observe 
  that 
  our 
  Batra- 
  

   chians 
  do 
  not 
  bite, 
  although 
  some 
  exotic 
  forms 
  do. 
  

   However, 
  Pelohates, 
  v/hen 
  irritated, 
  assumes 
  a 
  very 
  

   aggressive 
  attitude, 
  screaming 
  and 
  jumping 
  with 
  open 
  

   mouth 
  towards 
  its 
  tormentor, 
  as 
  if 
  to 
  snap 
  at 
  him. 
  

   No 
  doubt 
  these 
  antics, 
  accompanied 
  by 
  a 
  repulsive 
  

   odour 
  produced 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time, 
  must 
  act 
  as 
  a 
  

   protection 
  against 
  snakes 
  and 
  carnivores. 
  The 
  Bom- 
  

   hinator 
  are 
  also 
  behoved 
  to 
  startle 
  pursuers 
  by 
  turning 
  

   over 
  and 
  suddenly 
  exhibiting 
  the 
  brilliant 
  coloration 
  

   of 
  their 
  lower 
  surfaces. 
  

  

  