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Frogs imported into Ireland . 
port. Dr. Perceval Wright, in his recent work, Animal 
Life (p. 410), tells us that the introduction of frogs into 
Ireland is due to Dr. Gwythers, physician, and a Fellow 
of Trinity College, Dublin, who imported a supply of these 
creatures from England, in the year 1700, and turned 
them out into the ditches of the college park. Their 
surroundings were apparently uncongenial, and in a short 
time they all perished. Not discouraged by his failure, 
the doctor sent for a fresh supply, not of frogs, but of 
frog-spawn, which he threw into the same ditches. The 
second experiment was more successful, and in the course 
•of some years the frog family had increased sufficiently 
to spread itself over the whole island. 
Both frogs and toads were supposed to have this 
natural property, that when they sit erect they hold their 
heads steady and without motion. This stately action 
Spenser, in his Shepherd's Calendar, calls the “ lording ” 
of frogs. 
Topsell quotes from Albertus Magnus the statement 
that the mouth of the frog closes about the end of August 
and remains shut throughout the winter. This remark¬ 
able assertion is repeated and confirmed by Izaak Walton. 
The frog as an article of diet seems never to have 
found favour in England, but it was early appreciated by 
our continental neighbours. Andrew Boorde tells us that— 
“ in Elaunders, and Braban, and other provinces anexed to the same 
the people wil eate the hynder loynes of frogges, and wyll eate 
todstooles ” (.Introduction of Knowledge , 1542, ed. Early English Text 
Society, 1870.) 
Edgar, in his assumed madness, replies to Gloucester's 
query as to his name, “ Poor Tom, that eats the swim¬ 
ming frog, the toad, the tadpole, the wall-newt and 
the water” (King Lear, iii. 4, 134). The connexion 
between frogs and tadpoles was noticed, though probably 
Jiot rightly understood. Du Bartas refers to the common 
Y 
