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There came in the fame glafs of fpirits with the 
above-defcribed frog-fifh (as I have chofe to call it), a 
parcel of fmall tadpoles, in their different changes from 
the fpawn to near the perfect frog : fee them expreffed 
on the plate of their natural fize at letter A B C D. 
Doubtlefs thefe produce a fpecies of frogs different 
from the European, and perhaps are the fame that 
Merian and Seba delcribe as changing into fifhes. I 
think, however, that our aflent to fuch an opinion 
may reafonablybe fufpended, till we are confirmed in 
it by farther obfervations of the real fadt ; for it feems 
ffrange, that a tadpole fhould firff be changed into 
a frog, and that the felf-lame frog, by a reverfed pro- 
cefs of nature, fhould change again into a very large 
tadpole, as figured at G in the plate, and finally 
change into a fifh, as in Merian, tab. 71. fig. y. It 
feems very ffrange, that another tail fhould grow from 
the frog that hath lately loff one, and that he fhould 
gradually lofe his legs, and become a perfect fifh. 
Nature, in her ordinary courfe, is not accuffomed to 
adt in fuch a manner backwards and forwards, to 
feem to perfedt a work, and then to reverfe it by a 
procefs diredtly oppofite. 
The little tadpoles on the plate A B C D, are fpe- 
cifically different from the large one F G, as is ma- 
nifeft by the difference of their feet : fee the hinder 
foot of one of the fmall ones magnified at E, which 
fhews, that the ends of their toes are round and flat on 
their underfides, both in the hinder and fore feet : 
forwards they have four toes in each foot, unwebbed ; 
the hinder feet have five toes, each webbed together. 
As to thefpecimen before us, whether it is already 
in its perfedt ffate, a fpecies of frog having a tail, or a 
kind 
