NATURE STUDY IN SCHOOLS. 157 



The Philadelphia vireo should be looked for in Massachusetts in May 

 and September. It winters in Costa Rica and Panama. 



THE WOOD FROG. 



BY 



Mabel Robinson. 



In walking through the woods you may often have startled into motion 

 the little wood frog who will proceed to make himself scarce with a series of 

 leaps exceedingly long for so small a creature. 



If you are fortunate enough to capture him for examination you will 

 find him a curiously beautiful frog. The general color, except for the bronzed 

 effect, is very much like the dead oak leaves where he was cosily hidden 

 when you roused him. The dainty little black mask which he wears gives 

 him the name of Maryland yellow -throat from its resemblance to the mark- 

 ings of that bird. 



This spring, the very first of May, some eggs of the wood frog were 

 brought to me from a neighboring swamp. I kept them away from sunshine 

 and heat until they were fairly well started on life's journey which was not 

 long after. A slight movement was noticeable in the eggs the next day 

 and by the next, many had eaten their way out of the jelly and w r ere swim- 

 ming around, tiny black morsels of life. 



Of course with such a goodly supply of nourishing food it was unnec- 

 essary to give them anything more for awhile. In fact, it proved fatal w r hen 

 a few, as special treat, were given some Indian meal. This, however, with 

 bread crumbs, was the principal article of their diet as they grew larger and 

 were put in the fish bowl to live with two tadpoles which had been all win- 

 ter changing into bull frogs. 



The last week in May several of the wood frog tadpoles, though much 

 smaller than the bull frogs had been at the same stage, acquired back legs. 

 These at first appeared very helpless and lay stretched parallel to the tail, 

 L*i t gradually the joints strengthened and the little fellows seemed very proud 

 to be able to kick them about. The second week in June they developed all 

 the symptoms of hard cases of mumps. They became very much swollen on 

 both sides below the throat, and close examination showed, protruding slightly 

 through the tiny hole on the left side, a wee elbow. In every case the left 

 leg came first to be followed the next day by the other front leg. 



Then followed rapidly a series of tragedies. The little body changed 

 very quickly, the mouth widening, eyes protruding, and tail shrinking. This 



