0608 



Reptiles. 



long ago as he could recollect," had not struck him as referring lo the 

 edible frog until Mr. Th urn all's discovery was announced. 



Mr. Bell gives us, in this first edition, p. 86, an account of the 

 introduction into Ireland, now about a hundred and fifty years ago, 

 of the common frog, which in the same passage is reported to have 

 shortly spread over the whole country. In the previously prevalent 

 belief that no reptile had existed in Ireland, at all events since the 

 time of St. Patrick, a weighty reason appears for the preservation of 

 the account of their subsequent introduction. That, however, even 

 this account was not generally known, appears from Mr. Bell being 

 indebted to Mr. W. Ogilby for a reference to it. 



The edible frog has not appeared, as far as I know, in other locali- 

 ties than Foul mi re in this country, excepting where it is known to 

 have been newly turned out. In a more recent case of a species of 

 Amphibia new to our Fauna, it was soon found at the extreme ends 

 of the island as well as at intermediate places, though I admit that 

 this does not prove much, for we certainly have some other species of 

 Reptilia and Amphibia very local. 



I have heard reports that since the draining of Foulmire the edible 

 frog has not spread in the neighbourhood, but has disappeared. 

 I must acknowledge, from former observation, that I never saw in this 

 country a more peculiar place than Foulmire was. Deep, clear 

 springs in turf, lying near together, perhaps slightly warm ; at all 

 events, the vegetation about them seemed luxuriant. It may be that 

 this peculiarity of character made it especially suitable for the 

 edible frog. 



We must not forget the assertions of Pennant and Shaw, though 

 without detail, that the edible frog is a British species, though 

 Mr. Bell, in his first edition, refers to these assertions as errors. 

 There can be no doubt he was right in believing that Dr. Stark was 

 in error in exhibiting at the Zoological Society, in 1833, a skeleton of 

 a frog, caught near Edinburgh, as the edible, or indeed, as Mr. Bell 

 (vide Brit. Rept., 2nd ed.) afterwards saw, as any other species than 

 the common frog. 



But I must repeat that, with all respect for the opinion of Mr. Bell, 

 I can hardly bring myself to believe that we have at present " irrefra- 

 gable testimony" of the edible or esculent frog being indigenous to 

 Great Britain. 



I am afraid we must wait for the discovery of some old fen bones, 

 undoubted allusions in old books, or some such testimony, to 

 strengthen what Mr. Bell has hitherto advanced ; for at most he has 



