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they are. This song or note is always heard in early 

 spring, and is one of the first notes which greet the ear 

 and tell us this joyous season is approaching. When 

 looking for them the searcher is badly deceived, for 

 when he thinks he has the sound located and proceeds 

 to look for them, it comes from another quarter. They 

 either move suddenly or become silent when the local- 

 ity is neared. All frogs delight to sit or bask in the 

 sun, and when disturbed utter a short croak and leap 

 into the water. Some grow very large and the noise 

 of a number of them is very disagreeable. The changes 

 passed through in the life of a frog are very wonderful 

 and bear some relation to insects in this particular. 

 When the eggs hatch the young appear in the form of 

 the well known tad-poles, which are seen in great 

 numbers in our ponds. These when first hatched have 

 a long tail and small chunky body without feet; when 

 older and larger one pair of limbs come to view, and 

 after a period of time is passed in this state a second 

 pair appear, thus making a frog with a long tail; after 

 a time this entirely disappears and the mature and per- 

 fect frog is formed. Who would have thought to look 

 at a tad-pole, that at a future time it would be a frog. 

 If all tad-poles thrive and go through these changes 

 unharmed, a great number of frogs is likely to follow. 

 They are generally numerous in stagnant pools. When 

 walking along by creeks you sometimes notice dark 

 brown shells of considerable size. These are the fresh 

 water mussel. The living ones are often found lying 

 upon the sand or shore, and when approached they 

 close the shell tightly. When opened the contents 

 does not present the appearance of a living creature. 



