352 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



fact that the boy was about to be sent to boarding school and 

 that he was afraid the toad lacking his attention would die in 

 his absence. The duke promised to look after the toad and 

 apprise the boy from time to time of its condition. During 

 the time he was at school he received five letters couched in 

 the following terms : — Strathjleldsaye, July z"] , 1837. "Field 

 Marshal the Duke of Wellington is happy to inform William 

 Harries that his toad is alive and well." When the boy re- 

 turned for his Christmas holidays, the toad was as the duke 

 said, "Alive and well," but, in accordance with the usual 

 habits of these animals, he was in his winter's sleep, in which 

 he remained until spring and genial weather brought him 

 from his well-guarded hole in the ground. 



^jjg The Common Frog (Rana Temporarid) is now 



Common found all over the British Isles. Formerly un- 

 °*' known in Ireland it was introduced there about 

 the year 1 700 and has since spread all over the country. The 

 frog is more sociable than the toad and is often seen and heard 

 in large numbers ; his habits however are very similar and his 

 mode of seizing his prey the same. The Edible Frog belongs 

 to Europe, where it is used as an article of food and is not 

 found in England. The Bull Frog is an Indian variety and 

 attains to a great size. The American Bull Frog is also an in- 

 teresting species. 



__ Mr. Jesse gives the following illustration of the 



Ingenuity of ingenuity of the Frog : " I may mention a curi- 



the Frog. Q^g observation made in regard to some frogs that 

 had fallen down a small area, which gave light to one of the 

 windows of my house. The top of the area being on a level 

 with the ground, was covered with some iron bars, through 

 which the frogs fell. During dry and warm weather, when 

 they could not absorb much moisture, I observed them to ap- 

 pear almost torpid ; but when it rained they became impatient 

 of their confinement, and endeavoured to make their escape, 

 which they did in the following manner. The wall of the 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



