NATURE STUDY IN SCHOOLS. 121 



The star-fish feeds on oysters, insects, dead fish, and dead crabs. The 

 star-fishes destroy bushels of oysters every year. Probably when a star-fish 

 wishes to catch an oyster, he throws out a fluid which stupifies or poisons 

 the victim. If the oyster is small, a star-fish can put the shell and all into 

 his stomach, but when it is a large oyster the star-fish sucks out the flesh. 



The star-fish is not the only enemy of the oyster. Another enemy is a 

 bird about the same size as a hen with a long, flat, red bill. This bird is 

 called the oyster catcher, and he knows that when the tide goes out, all the 

 oysters gape. So when the tide has gone out the oyster catcher goes and 

 puts his bill into a certain muscle, and thus the oyster is unable to close his 

 shell. 



LESSON ON FROGS IN AN EIGHTH GRADE, 

 GLINES SCHOOL, SOMERVILLE, MASS. 



BY 



M. Eva Warren. 



Frogs, by Isabella Copland. 



Frogs belong to the Batrachian order, which includes frogs, toads, and 

 salamanders. Many people mistake the salamanders for lizards, but there are 

 no lizards in New England. 



All the members of this order lay their eggs in the water. Froga' eggs 

 are laid on the edges of ponds, around sticks near or on the surface of the 

 water, because there it is warmer and the eggs are more liable to hatch. 

 When frogs' eggs are first laid, you can easily distinguish the dark spot 

 where the tadpole will form ; the Avhite circle above this, which is the yoke, 

 and the albumen corresponding to the white of the egg, which surrounds both. 

 When the eggs have been in water a short time, the albumen soaks water, 

 swells, and becomes like a mass of gelatine. If a very cold snap comes, of 

 course the eggs are spoiled, and the whole mass turns greenish in color. 



When the tadpoles come out, they eat first this gelatine, and then fresh 

 water plants. The tadpoles have three gills on each side of the head with 

 which to breathe, a long tail which enables them to swim, a small mouth, 

 and horny jaws. The blood passes into the gills, and is purified by the ox- 

 ygen in the water, then as the tadpoles grow older, the gills are taken in 

 through the slits on either side of the head, and the water passes in through 

 the mouth, and through an opening on the left side. It is now breathing like 

 a fish. In a little while the two upper gills on each side become absorbed, 

 while the third becomes changed to form the lungs. 





