THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



39 



had "frayed off," and this, I believe, was 

 owing to the substance of the tail gradually 

 coming off externally. When the legs are 

 perfect and the tail all gone, the young frog 

 is then ready for a life on land. It has 

 become an air-breathing animal. When 

 they have reached this state they leave the 

 water for dry land as soon as possible. I 

 was scarcely aware that it was now necessary 

 for them to get into another element : and 

 though I saw them stretching up the glass 

 sides, standing on their hind legs, or making 

 long jumps in the water. I never thought 

 that they had now ceased to be water- 

 breathing animals. They were, therefore, 

 left where they were, and when next I looked 

 at them they were dead. For a time I felt 

 puzzled, but at last it struck me they had 

 been drowned, as was undoubtedly fhe case. 

 I then provided a piece of rock work, by 

 which they could get out when ready, and 

 they were soon safely on the little fernery in 

 the middle, from which they were removed 

 to another case containing ferns only. Here 

 they did well, and each selected a little 

 crevice in the rockwork for himself. At 

 night, when I came in from an entomological 

 expedition, I used to set off in it all the 

 insects that were too worn or too common 

 to set. The little frogs were soon out of 

 their holes, and enormous leaps they took 

 in their efforts to secure their prey. One in 

 particular I used to notice when not more 

 than an inch and a half long (without the 

 hind legs) was able to spring up fully nine 

 inches from the bottom. So accurate, toO' 

 was it in its movements, that it rarely missed 

 its mark though the insect was buzzing 

 about on the wing. Such moths as T. pro- 

 nuba were almost too large for it, and it 

 heeded to make two or three gulps before it 

 got one of this size swallowed. The moth 

 seemed to live some time, for sometimes the 

 antennae alone would project from its mouth 

 and would wave about for several minutes, 

 then froggy would give another gulp and 



even the antennae disappeared. I was much 

 astonished how quickly these little frogs 

 grew when they were well fed ; and when 

 they had fasted a few days they seemed 

 very ravenous: all of them would jump 

 at once at the same insect, and often bump 

 together in the air, letting the moth escape 

 for the moment. The large frog I have 

 spoken of was always the keenest for food, 

 and it grew so large that it begun to break 

 the ferns down, and I had to carry it into 

 the fields and set it away. 



This concludes my notes on reptiles. I 

 I have not had much opportunity of observing 

 others. I once caught a slowworm, but it 

 escaped before I got it home ; and once I 

 I caught a Ringed snake, but I have nothing 

 ' special to say about it, though I kept it in a 

 j walled yard for several months, and it grew 

 1 at last so tame that it would take food from 

 my fingers. I believe all our reptiles are 

 j eaaily tamed, and when the idea of their 

 < repulsiveness is once got over they are very 

 interesting pets. Not very long ago I was 

 called into an adjoining garden by a gentle- 

 man who had found a horrible monster, 

 which proved to be a specimen of the crested 

 I newt. He had taken it up with the kitchen 

 tongs and put it in a large dish till I should 

 come, and he evidently felt himself very 

 courageous for having done so much. When 

 I took it in my hands he seemed to expect I 

 should fall dead at his feet ; and, though 

 nothing serious happened, he refers to it 

 with a shudder even yet. I name this only 

 to show how ignorance tends to alarm, and 

 my friend was so afraid of " the horrid beast ' ' 

 that he dared not come near enough to 

 admire it. I have often longed to possess 

 a viper, especially one with young ones, that 

 I might try to satisfy myself that the young 

 take refuge in the mouth or throat of the 

 parent. But there are no vipers hereabouts, 

 and however harmless our other reptiles 

 may be, the viper is unquestionably "ven 

 omous." 



