The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-05-03

Tuesday Morning, May 8, 1870.
%cRIYLAAND

FRoGs.-The Providence Journal has
Newport correspondent who has been observ-
antly wooing the frogs to sit for their portraits
to his graphic pen. His pictures are too nu-
merous to be all copied; but specimen or
two from his delicious gallery must be given
to our readers. Here they are:
The bark of dog can be heard at the dis
tance of eighteen hundred yards; the voice OF
a man at thousand yards, and the croak OF
frog at nine hundred. Taking the differ
ence in size into consideration, the frog bas
altogether the best lungs. The dog seldom
barks at night, except when the moon shines.
The frog is not so particular, and his notes
may be termed, par excellence, " the voice OF
the night" They are certainly peculiar The
gnat huns in A, the owl boots in B, the house
hy buzzes in ESQ musicians say, have no
ears Tor music, and cannot speak of my own
knowledge, but if this be so, then the notes of
the frog must be G. sharp-that of the Ameri-
can bull frog, the giant frog of Southern
swamps, foot and half from tip to tip, ex-
cepted. His croak is indescribable. In only
one instance have l seen it set to words, and
then 1t was skilfully done by Neal in his
"Charcoal Sketches"
can make shoe, Jimmy Drew as well as you 90,
And dbetter too, Tinmy Drew, and better too-oo co."
quote from memory, perhaps inaccurately,
for have not seen copy of that work in
eight and thirty or forty years; but cannot
have gone far astray. The frogs were too much
for Tim, who had to quit spot where his per-
secutors reminded him so often of his name
ard trade.
Graphic tales like that of Tim Drew, led me
to an intimate acquaintance with frogs. and
in time l learned to set up the skeleton of
many burly bull-a task that frequently en-
ployed my idle hours in schoolboy days. 1t
was easily performed, and in this way. The
first thing, as Mrs. Glass SAID of the hare, was
to catch the frog A blow would bring him
down, but that would also break his bones,
and so he was taken alive. An urchin's jack
knife let out the current of his life. He dies
hard, but there is an end to all things, even to
the gesticulation of frog-ir you do not at
tach him to a galvanic battery Now gently
straighten his distorted limbs, swathe him
tenderly in a rag, and put him over the
fire to boil till his snowy flesh is ready to
drop from the bone. This done, and it can
not be over-done, draw out the bones, wipe
them dry, set up the feet, then the legs, follow
ing with the other parts, and uniting them all
at the joints with glew. Throw a little action
into the figure as the work progresses, with the
head stretched forward; raise one arm, hold
ing a scythe of lath 1.-THE blade over his back),
clasp the other hand around a little wooden
hour glass, and you have pretty good figure
of old Father Time-a little out OF proportion
in the lower limbs, and with perhaps, a head
little too fiat TO be taken for a Caucasian;
but, for all that, quite human enough to ar
rest attention, and give some coloring to
belief in the development of the human spe-
cies, from the tadpOle to the ape and gorilla,
and thence by easy stages to the perfected
being in the godlike form of mana theory
that has found some confirmation in the al
legged discovery in Africa of a race OF small
men with tails, apparently cross between
man and monkey, but, no doubt, one OF our
own species-a chrysalis, so to speak, to be de-
veloped in time, and to be recognized bereaf
ter as of the genus homo. What field of con-
| lecture is thus opened to usi But dare not
pause to survey it, for might 60 on, step by
| step, to be left at last in doubt whether Ma
cauley's New Zealander has yet to have his
day Of pastime as a tadpole, or has already
taken up his line of march for London bridge.
A frog is not overburdened with brains, and
it is greatly to his credit that he invariably
does bis best to protect the little that has fall
en- to his lot. II cornered, and one makes
feint of striking him with cane, he will
cringe, draw down his head, blnks his eyes
and puts up both his fore legs, like hands. to
defend his occiput, repeating the action every
time blow is expected. As a general thing
his life is calm and serene. He is an early
riser, and is equally addicted to "staying out
late o'nights," making up for the loss of rest
by basking in the noon tide sun and prepar-
ing for the nocturnal concert, in which ali his
relatives take part. He is very circumspect,
is not toady, and one never hears Of a frog
| under q harrow. Always weu-dressedin rath-
er bright colors, and having the appearance of
one fresh from the bath, he is the most gal
liant fellow in the world at the proper season !;
and were it not for cruel boys, rapacious pixies
| and snakes in the grass" the pleasures of
| his summer life would compensate iD part for
a death-like sleep during the winter solstice.