492 ZOOLOGY. 
their interest as to prevent their needless repetition. I do not 4 
recollect where I found the account of them, but I give the 
substance from memory. Twelve frogs tere carefully weighed — 
and placed in holes drilled in limestone, and the holes were covered 
. with glass lids, cemented with clay, and the glass protected by A 
slate, also cemented with clay. Twelve were treated in the same 
way in a block of compact sandstone, and another lot were placed 
in holes drilled in the trunks of trees. At the end of a year they — 
were examined. Those in the wood were dead and partly decayed, 
as were those in the sandstone. About half of those in limestone — 
were living and of these all but two had lost weight ; and two had | 
increased in weight. The cement closing the cell of one of these | 
was cracked so that small insects may have found their way 
into it, and served as food; and although no crack could be found : 
in the cell of the second it was probably fed in the same way, 
in a third cell, also without any discoverable crack, in which the 
frog was dead, several small insects were found. The living frogs 
were closed up again, and at the end of the second year, all were 
dead. The frogs were examined frequently, during their confine 
ment, by removing the slate without disturbing the glass, and inall : 
cases the living ones were found not torpid, but awake and active: 
— W. K. Brooks, Suspension Bridge, N. Y. - 
CHANGE OF TEMPERATURE IN WATER CONTAINING Reeta 
FertLizepo Suan Eces.— In the September number of the Natt 
RALIST, 1871, the question was asked, “ Can any one give Oe 
explanation of the fact “ that, as reported by A. 5- Collins, wie 
shad eggs swell after impregnation, the water in the pan 2v 
about 10° colder?” Such a fact requires, of course, careful and He 
peated observation to establish it. But, in connection with 
following (from “Nature,” January 18, 1872) has some in 
At the Academy of Sciences, Paris, January 2d, “a note 
heat absorbed during incubation, by M. A. Moitessier, e 
municated by M. Balard. The author finds that the sper 
of fecundated is less than that of unfecundated eggs when 
in the same manner, and infers that a portion of the heat 
by the former during incubation is transformed.” 
According to the recognized use of the term 
it is obvious that this statement should have been, 
cific heat of fecundated eggs is greater than that of 
ones; as heat is said to be absorbed by the former. : 
unfecus" 
The 7 
