122 FROGS, BY ISABELLA COPLAND. 



A tadpole has a very long intestine and a small stomach, but when it 

 becomes a fully developed frog, it has a large stomach and a small intestine. 

 A tadpole has a long intestine, because it feeds on vegetable matter, and this 

 is true of all vegetable eating animals. But when it is a frog it has a large 

 stomach, because it feeds on animal matter. 



The hind legs of a frog are first seen as a bud on either side of the tail. 

 They gradually develop until fully formed in the same way that a star-fish 

 buds a ray. The front legs are first seen as little bunches on the sides of 

 the head. They, are perfectly formed inside of the skin, and then the tad- 

 pole pushes out one and then the other. A tadpole has a small mouth, but 

 you can see a dark line extending from either side of the mouth, which plainly 

 shows where the large mouth of the frog is to be. When the tadpole has 

 all of its le^s it rests awhile and absorbs its tail. The flesh and bone in the 

 tail furnishes nourishment for the frog during this process. Then the mouth 

 widens and teeth form on the upper jaw, and the animal is a frog, which 

 will live upon animal instead of vegetable matter. This change is as great 

 as if a cow should change from eating grass, and eat small animals. 



The frog's tongue is hinged to the front part of the lower jaw. When 

 a frog wishes to catch an insect, it throws the tongue forward on the hinge, 

 and catches the insect by means of sticky matter at its tip, which is forked 

 and by letting the tongue spring back into place, the insect is thrown into 

 the frog's throat. 



The difference between the eyes of the tadpole and those of the frog, is 

 that the eyes on a tadpole are veiy small, while the frog's eyes stand out from 

 the head and can be seen very easily. The frogs, as well as some other an- 

 imals, have a third eyelid which is transparent, and comes over the eye while 

 in water, to keep the eye from harm. The ears are two circular membranes 

 which are on either side of the head and below the eyes. The frog has very 

 keen sight and very sharp hearing. 



The frogs moult in water, the old skin coming off in strips and looking like 

 a film as it is left in water. The frog stores up fat on either side of the 

 intestine to serve as food during the winter. Then they go down to the pond 

 where they are, and hide under rocks or anything that will protect them du- 

 ring the winter. There they stay, and when springs comes again, they come 

 out and lay their eggs. After the breeding season, the frogs usually come on 

 land. 



The frog has four toes on his fore feet, and five on his hind ones which 

 are all webbed. A frog swims with his hind legs only, using a double stroke, 

 while the fore legs are held close to the sides. Frogs come to the surface 

 of the water to breathe the air outside, and we often see them resting in the 

 water with their nostrils just above the surface. 



