RAN A. 



iummer on land, at wliich time it is filcut ; it feeds on various 

 infefts, and h the prey of ducks and cranes, croaks very 

 much when in muddy ditches ; the variety makes, by night, 

 a node Hke that of an angry man. 



Of all the European fpecies this is the mod common. 

 The general colour is of an ohve-brown, variegated on the 

 upper parts of the body with irregular blackifh fpots. The 

 patch beneath each eye, which reaches to the fetting on of 

 the fore-legs, feems to conftitute one of the principal Tpecific 

 diftinftions. Tiie imder part of the body is of a pale 

 greenifli colour, and obfcurely fpotted. But it ought to be 

 obferved, that the colour of tlic frog varies at different fea- 

 fons of the year, and perhaps, in different places. Towards 

 the end of fummer, for inllance, the colours are much 

 brighter ; and as this fpecies frequently calls its (Icin, the 

 cuticle falling off irregularly from different parts of the 

 body, produces confiderable variations in the intenfity of 

 the colours. 



The frog has a light elegant form and a lively appear- 

 ance ; the limbs are well calculated for its peculiar'motions, 

 and the hind feet being llrongly webbed, enable it to fwim 

 well. The frog, it is faid, does not reach its full fize till it is 

 five years old, and it lives from twelve to fifteen years. It 

 retires during the heat of fummer to the water, and in winter 

 it becomes torpid, and is generally found in the foft mud at 

 the bottom of ftagnant waters, or in the cavities beneath 

 their banks, where it remains till the return of fpring. 



The frog, as well as many other of the reptile tribe, is ex- 

 tremely tenacious of life. It furvives, for a confiderable 

 time, the lofs even of fome of its efleutial organs, and it has 

 been found to cxift for feveral days when entirely confined 

 under water. 



The frog depofits its fpavvn in the month of March. 

 This is compofed of a gelatinous tranfparent mafs, including 

 the ova or eggs, in each of which is imbedded the embryo 

 or tadpole, which has then the appearance of a round black 

 globule. The period of hatching varies according to the 

 temperature ot the feafon, but it is commonly in about a 

 month or five weeks. In its progrefs the egg becomes gra- 

 dually larger, and before the tadpole is excluded, it is feen 

 in motion within the furrounding gluten. When they are 

 firft hatched, their only food is the remains of the gluten in 

 which they were included. A few days afterwards, if they 

 are minutely examined, a pair of ramified branchise, or tem- 

 porary organs, may be obferved on each fide of the head, 

 which after a (hort time diiappear. The tadpole, which is 

 fo extremely unlike the animal in its perfedl ftate, feems 

 to confift only of a head and tail. The head is large, 

 black, and roundiih ; the tail is flender, and margined with a 

 broad tranfparent fin. The motions of the tadpole are very- 

 lively. Its food confifts of duck-weed and other fmall wa- 

 ter plants, with different kinds of animalcula. The mouth 

 is furnifhed with very minute teeth, and when the tadpole 

 has reached a certain fize, it may fometimes be heard gnaw- 

 ing the edges of the leaves on which it feeds. By means of 

 a fucker placed between the lower jaw, with which the ani- 

 mal in this ftate is furnilhed, it can attach itfelf at pleafure 

 to the under furface of aquatic plants. When it is very 

 young, it fometimes hangs from this part by means of a 

 glutinous thread, fimilar to fome fmall llugs. 



The internal llrutture of the organs of the tadpole is 

 very different from that ot the future animal. In ho refpeft 

 is tins difference greater than in the difpofition of the intef- 

 tines, which are coiled in the form of a flat fpiral, like a ca- 

 ble. The firft change which appears on the tadpole is at 

 the end of five or fix weeks after it is hatched. It is about 

 this time that the hind legs firft appear ; and gradually in- 



creafing in Icngtli and lize, they are fucceeded about two 

 weeks afterwards by the fore legs. Tliefe latter, indeed, an- 

 formed at an earlier period beneath the (kin, and are fomt-- 

 tiines protruded, and again drawn back by the animal, 

 through a fmall hole on each (ide of the breait, before theit 

 complete evolution. Tlie tail now gradually decreafes, and 

 afterwards more rapidly, fo that in the fpace of a day or 

 two, it is quite obliterated. After this change, the animal 

 leaves the water, and covers the banks in myriads. The 

 fudden appearance of fuch multitudes of young frogs, lia^ 

 probably induced the groundlefs but popular belief, of thcii 

 having fallen from the clouds in fhowers. The frog liaving 

 now arrived at its pcrfcft form, it changes entirely the na- 

 ture of its food. It lived formerly on vegetables, now 

 it depends folely for its exiltence on animal food. It 

 lives chiefly on fmall fnails, worms, and infefts. To feize 

 its prey, the ftrudture and pofition of the tongue are re- 

 markably well fitted. It is ot confiderable length, and 

 is attached to the fore part of the mouth ; and when 

 at refl it lies backwards. The extremity is bifid, and 

 fecretes a glutinous matter, fo that in this way it can fe- 

 cure its prey, by darting out its tongue with great celerity, 

 and to fome diftance from the mouth. This it does with fo 

 inftantaneous a motion, that it is fcarcely perceptible to the 

 eye. 



Marginata ; Bordered Frog. The fides of this are 

 marginate, and the feet cleft. It inhabits India and South 

 America. 



* EscuLENTA ; Efculent, or Edible, or Green Frog. 

 Of this fpecies the diltinguifliing charafteriftics are, that it 

 is of an olive colour, fpotted with black, with three yel- 

 lowifh lines on the back ; the abdomen is whitifli. 



Of all the European frogs this is the largell fpecies. 

 The general appearance is very like that of the R. tempo- 

 raria, but it is larger in fize, and of an ohve-green colour, 

 ftrongly marked on the upper part of tlie body with roundifh 

 black fpots. The limbs are elegantly marked with tranf- 

 verfe bands of the fame colour. Three diftindl pale yellow 

 ftripes run from the tip of the nofe down the whole length 

 of the back ; the middle one being flightly deprefled, but 

 the two lateral ones are confiderably elevated. The head is 

 proportionably larger than that of the common frog. 



The green frog is rare in England, but is very common 

 in France, Italy, and Germany, where it is employed as an 

 article of food. 



This fpecies, it is obferved by naturalifts, does not leave 

 its winter retirement till a much later period than the com- 

 mon frog ; and in thofe countries where it is ufed as food, it 

 is worth while to attend to this faft : for if they are pre- 

 tended to be brought to market at an earlier period, the 

 common frog, and fometimes even toads, muft be fubfti- 

 tuted. During the breeding feafon, the croaking of the 

 male is fo loud, that it may be heard at a great diftance ; 

 and in thofe places where they are numerous, it becomes fo 

 intolerable to thofe who are unaccuftomed to hear them, 

 that they are often deprived of fleep. At this time, too, a 

 large mflefted globular veficle is protruded from each fide 

 of the head of the male. The globules of fpawn in the 

 green frog are proportionally fmaller than in the former 

 fpecies : they have fomewhat of a yellowilh caft. The pro- 

 grefs of the tadpole, towards the evolution of the perfect 

 animal, is confiderably flower in this fpecies. The fore legs 

 do not appear before Oftober, and the animal does not af- 

 fume its perfedl fhape tiU the beginning of November. The 

 tail at this time begins to decreafe, and in the fpace of four 

 days entirely difappears. 



This fpecies is extremely voracious, feizing, it is faid, on 



young 



