FROGS AND TOADS 
133 
tends the eggs laid by the female. But in¬ 
stead of carrying them about outside his 
person he carries them inside, passing them 
into a pouch-like receptacle, an enlargement 
of the vocal sac which extends beneath the 
body and has two openings communicating 
with the mouth, one on either side of the 
tongue. Within this safe retreat the young 
ones hatch out and make their way into the 
world as fully developed frogs, leaping forth 
from their father’s mouth. 
Only four species of tailless batrachians 
are found in Great Britain, namely the common 
frog, the edible frog, the common toad and 
the natterjack toad. 
Of these the first mentioned is by far the 
most plentiful, while its general appearance 
is so familiar to every one as to need no detailed 
description. It may be mentioned, however, 
that the creature is very variable in colour, 
some individuals being greyish, some brown, 
some yellow, and others reddish. Even white 
specimens have been known, and one of these 
albinos that was exhibited at the London 
Zoological Gardens some years back had red 
pupils to its eyes, instead of the normal black 
ones. 
Although usually found in the vicinity of 
water, the common frog is not very aquatic 
