142 EDGE OF THE JUNGLE 
were arranged nearly in altitudinal size—two 
large tadpoles being close below Guinevere, and 
a bevy of six tiny chaps lowest down. All were 
lightly poised, swaying in mid-water, at a gently 
sloping angle, like some unheard-of, orange- 
stained, aquatic autumn foliage. 
For two weeks Guinevere remained almost as 
I have described her, gaining slightly in size, but 
with little alteration of color or pattern. Then 
came the time of the great change: we felt it to 
be imminent before any outward signs indicated 
its approach. And for four more days there was 
no hint except the sudden growth of the hind 
legs. From tiny dangling appendages with mi- 
nute toes and indefinite knees, they enlarged and 
bent, and became miniature but perfect frog’s 
limbs. 
She had now reached a length of two inches, 
and her delicate colors and waving fins made her 
daily more marvelous. The strange thing about 
the hind limbs was that, although so large and 
perfect, they were quite useless. They could not 
even be unflexed; and other mere pollywogs near 
by were wriggling toes, calves, and thighs while 
yet these were but imperfect buds. When she 
dived suddenly, the toes occasionally moved a 
