THE FROGS 



303 



ECAUDTATA 



THE FROGS (Family Ranid^) 



While it is quite young the Frog lives in the water altogether. 

 At that time of its life we call it a tadpole, and we may see it 

 swimming about in almost any pond during the spring. 



Tadpoles come from the jelly-like eggs which we often see 

 floating in great masses upon the surface of ponds. If we look 

 at one of these eggs we see that there is a round black spot in the 

 middle. This is the future tadpole, and by and by the egg bursts, 

 and it comes out into the 

 water. It is an odd-looking 

 little creature. Just a round 

 black head with a tail com- 

 ing out of it, and no body or 

 legs at all. That, indeed, is 

 why it is called a tadpole, for 

 the word is really "tailed- 

 poll" or "tailed-/4^«^". 



All day the little tadpole 

 swims about in the pond, 

 eating as much as it can. 

 Before long two little legs 

 begin to show themselves 

 behind the head. By and by 

 another pair of legs appears 

 in front of these, and then we see that the tadpole is fast getting 

 a body, as well as a head and tail. Strange to say, however, the 

 tail, instead of growing, now becomes smaller and smaller, until at 

 last it disappears altogether. 



Another change has been taking place in its body. All this 

 time the tadpole has been breathing water, like a fish, by means 

 of gills, which we could easily see on either side of its neck. But 

 now these have vanished, like the tail, and a pair of lungs have 

 taken their place. Thus our tadpole, which used to live in the 



Tadpoles 



