90 
Batbachians. REPTILES. Batbachians. 
viridis ) — Plate 1, fig. 1 — is rather larger than our 
Common frog. It varies very much in colour, accord- 
ing to the locality in which it is found. In general the 
upper parts of the body are of a beautiful green tint, 
irregularly marked with brown or blackish spots or 
patches of nearly equal size, the limbs being marked 
transversely with bands of the same colour. It differs 
from the preceding species in wanting the dark mark 
extending from the back of the eye to the shoulder, and 
in having three distinct narrow bands, of a fine golden 
yellow, running down along the back. The male is dis- 
tinguished by having a vocal sac on each side, behind 
the angle of the mouth. When filled with air in the 
act of croaking, they become large and globular, stand- 
ing out, one on each side of the head. The Edible 
frog is essentially aquatic in its habits. It is found 
in running streams as well as in stagnant waters ; in 
rivers as well as in ponds ; in marshes, ditches, and 
even the smaller pools of standing water. It seldom 
comes to land, and never remains far from the banks 
of streams or ponds, hut throws itself precipitately into 
the water the moment it hears any noise, nor does it 
expose itself again until certain that all danger is past. 
In general it is in muddy places where reeds and other 
aquatic plants grow, that this frog is found ; and there 
either lying motionless on the surface of the water, or 
perched on some aquatic plant, as water lilies, &c., it 
pours forth during most of the summer season the most 
intolerable croakings. The female, which wants the 
vocal sacs, produces more of a groaning kind of noise, 
but the croak of the male is exceedingly powerful, from 
the air which it forces into these sacs causing a great 
vibration in them ; and they croak by day as well as 
by night. As the name imports, it is this species 
which is eaten on the Continent. In France it is 
the Common frog ; and there, and in other parts of 
Eui'ope, a considerable consumption takes place an- 
nually. In Vienna, it is said, they are fattened up for 
sale, and kept in preserves called Froggeries (Grenouil- 
lieres), constructed for the express purpose. The food 
of this species, like that of the preceding, consists of 
insects, small aquatic mollusca, and worms, provided 
they be alive and in motion. They are voracious 
creatures, and may be taken during the heats of sum- 
mer by a line baited with a piece of scarlet cloth, 
which is kept iu motion so as to give it the appearance 
of a living creature. They are also captured by a line 
having a round ball of bread or dough attached to it 
and put in motion. Being suddenly swallowed, before 
the animal has time to open its mouth to permit the 
bait to be rejected, a sudden jerk of the line lands it 
on the bank. The Edible frog has a wide range ; it 
is found throughout the greater part of Europe ; in 
Northern Africa, in Persia, China, and Japan. Its 
existence as a British species, however, has only been 
very lately recorded. It was first, we believe, made 
known as a denizen of our isle by Mr. F. Bond, who 
published a short notice of its capture in Cambridge- 
shire in the Zoologist, in 1843. It was found by a 
friend of his in Foulmire Fen, and was then thought 
to be very rare. Subsequently, however, Mr. Bond 
found them in considerable abundance, and describes 
the male as having, when croaking, “ two large blad- 
ders, one on each side of the mouth, which give it a 
very curious appearance.” Pie expresses his surprise 
that they were never seen before, their croaking being 
so very different from that of the Common frog ; “ the 
sound,” he says, “ is more of a loud snore, exactly like 
Fig. 25. 
Bull Frog (Kana muglens). 
that of the barn owl {Strix flammed). The whole fen 
was quite in a charm with their song!” He further 
remarks that it is a very timid animal, disappears on 
the least alarm, and is not very easy to catch. Pro- 
fessor Bell, iu the same work {Zoologist), says, the 
croaking of this frog is so loud and shrill as to have 
obtained for them the name of “ Cambridgeshire 
Nightingales,” and “ Wh addon organs!” In a later 
number of this journal (1849), Mr. Doubleday ofEpping 
is said to have turned out some specimens of this 
