14 COMMON FROG. Class III. 



in the clouds, and showered on the earth ; but 

 had they, like our Derham* traced them to 

 the next pool, they would have found a better 

 solution of the difficulty. 



As frogs adhere closely to the backs of their 

 own species, so we know they will do the same 

 by fish: Walton^ mentions a strange story of 

 their destroying pike ; but that they will injure, 

 if not entirely kill carp, is a fact indisputable, 

 from the following relation. A very few years ago, 

 on fishing a pond belonging to Mr. Pitt, of E71- 

 comb, Dorsetshire, great numbers of the carp 

 were found, each with a frog mounted on it, the 

 hind legs clinging to the back, the fore legs 

 fixed in the corner of each eye of the fishes, which 

 were thin and greatly wasted, teized by carrying 

 so disagreeable a load. These frogs we imagine 

 to have been males disappointed of a mate. 



The croaking of frogs is well known, and from 

 that in fenny countries they are distinguished 

 by ludicrous titles, thus they are stiled Dutch 

 Nightingales and Boston Waites ; even the Sty- 

 gian frogs have not escaped notice, for Aristo- 

 phanes hath gone farther, and formed a chorus 

 of them. 



* Rays Wisdom Cr eat. 316. f Complete Angler, 161. 



