THE BULL-FROG. 
155 
life for the greater part of its existence, living in a hole near the water, and seldom leaving its 
domicile by day unless when suddenly alarmed. If frightened by an unknown sound or sight, 
the Bull-Frog leaps at once into the water, and instead of diving to the bottom immediately, 
skims along the surface for a few yards before it disappears. 
During the breeding season, these huge Frogs assemble together in great multitudes, 
congregating to the amount of four or five hundred in some pool or marsh, sitting with their 
bodies half submerged, and making night hideous with their horrid bellowing cries. Few 
persons, except those who have had personal experience, and who have lost night after night 
of needful sleep by the ceaseless noise, can imagine the loudness of voice and variety of tone 
possessed by the different species of Frogs. And travellers who lie awake at night, unwilling 
hearers of the nocturnal concerts, are disposed to envy the happy ignorance of those whose 
calmer lot is cast in countries where the drummings, bellowings, chatterings, and pipings of 
the Frog race are practically unknown. Among these nightly musicians the Bull-Frog is the 
loudest and most pertinacious ; mostly remaining quiet by day, but sometimes exulting in a 
black cloud or a heavy shower, and raising its horrid din even in the hours of daylight. 
It is a most voracious creature, feeding mostly on snails and similar prey, which it catches 
on its nocturnal excursions from its domicile, but often devouring animals of a larger size, 
such as crayfish, two of which crustaceans have been found in the stomach of a single Bull- 
Frog, and even gobbling down an occasional chicken or duckling. Taking advantage of its 
voracity, the inhabitants of the country are in the habit of catching it by means of a rod and 
line. The hook is generally baited with an insect, and gently drawn along the ground near 
the Frog, which leaps upon it, seizes it, and is hooked without difficulty. It is rather curious 
that the Frog will not touch the insect as long as it is allowed to rest quietly on the ground, 
but as soon as the line is pulled, so as to make the insect move, it is at once pounced 
upon. The common Frogs and toads have the same custom. 
The flesh of the Bull-Frog is very delicately flavored, and in some places the creature 
is kept in captivity and fed for table. 
This species is exceedingly active, making leaps of eight or ten feet in length and five feet 
in height. There is a well-known story of a race between a Bull-Frog and an Indian, the 
former to have three jumps in advance, and the distance about forty yards, to a pond from 
which the Frog had been taken. When the parties were ready to start, the glowing tip of a 
burning stick was applied to the Bull-Frog, which set off at such a rate, and made such 
astonishing leaps to get into the welcome water, that its human opponent was vanquished 
in the race. 
In some places this creature is never disturbed, as it is supposed, perhaps with some 
justice, to aid in keeping the water pure. The popular name of Bull-Frog is derived from its 
cry, which is said to resemble the bellowing of the animal whose name it bears. Several 
species of Frog have been classed under the same popular name. 
The color of the Bull-Frog is brown, mottled with black above, and taking a greener hue 
upon the head. The abdomen is grayish-white, and the throat is white dotted with green. 
The length of the head and body of the large species is rather more than six inches, and a fine 
specimen will sometimes measure nineteen or twenty inches from the nose to the extremity of 
its feet. The skin of the back is smooth, and without any longitudinal fold. 
These is another tolerably common species inhabiting the same country, which is 
also popularly called the Bull-Frog. It may be readily distinguished from the bull-Frog, 
which it otherwise greatly resembles, by the presence of a glandular fold on each side of the 
back. It is a very noisy creature, with a sharper and more yelping cry than the preceding 
species. When disturbed, it shoots at once into the water, and there sets up its peculiar cry. 
It is more active than the common bull-Frog, and if once released, is almost certain to escape, 
from the great length and rapidity of its leaps, the creature never seeming to pause between 
two jumps, but springing off the earth with an instantaneous rebound not unlike the flying 
leaps of the jerboa or kangaroo. It is a moisture-loving species, and is never found far 
from water. 
