220 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
the frog. It is usually from four to six inches in 
length. 
56. It is perfectly innoxious, and may be rendered 
tame and docile. It is, however, persecuted and 
murdered wherever it appears, on the supposition 
merely, that, because it is ugly, it must in consequence 
be venomous. 
57. These animals are so extremely numerous in 
some parts of South America, that, in rainy weather, 
not only all the marshy grounds, but the gardens, 
courts and streets are almost covered with them ; 
many of the inhabitants believe that they rain down, 
which absurd supposition is sometimes credited even 
in our own country. 
58. There is one singular but well authenticated 
circumstance relative to it, for which naturalists have 
hitherto been unable to account. It has repeatedly 
been found alive in blocks of stone, marble, and 
other solid substances, in which it must have been 
imbedded for centuries. 
THE FROG. 
59. The common Frog is known throughout Eu- 
rope and America. It varies considerably in colour, 
What is the character of the Toad ? What singular circum- 
stance is related of it ? 
Where is the common Frog found? 
