The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-05-12
Bis or NaiuTal History.
nY LESLIE nAYSoR.

drifts, hillnides nre bare and brown,
frightened in sunny places near the
rocks with patches OF green. Bluebirds
aro singing in tho orchard, maple buds
are swelling, and tonight comes faint
pcop--peep, from the swamps. Johnny
hears II and tells his father, "Spring II
really coming, for tho frogs are pceping
over In Swampy Hollow" A few more
days Of pleasant weather bring out the
tardy ones, and ut nightfall, all the frogs
arc tuning their pipes for a series OF open
air concerts.
What have they been doing all winterf
II you could take off o layer of mud from
swampy places, and the bottoms OF
ponds, you would find frogs. plenty OF
them, in kind Of sleep which In called
the torpid state. They DO not feel the
cold, and there they lio until the ground
thaws. and tho warmth of spring wakes
them from their long winter nap.
Frogs are curious creatures. The same
might bc said Of boys. And one Of the
strange things about tho latter IN that
they, (somo OF theml like 10 pelt frogs
with stones. There il a story that when
some frogs asked q troop of boys why
thoy tormented them with stones, the
boys answered, "Oh, for fun"
But tho frogs said, What is fun for
you, Is death 10 us."
This is, Of courses fable. but it shows
pretty clearly that whatever causes pain
10 any creature cannot lbs innocent fun.
Suppose now any boy who may happen
TO read this. should when he feels
tempted TO throw stones ut the frogs,
drop his ammunition, and watching for
n while, Ace bow much no. can learn
about them and their habits. Il think
when aummer was over. he would find
lao had had more satisfactory fun than !
he had tormsnted the poor creatures.
Frogs belong 20 that class Of animals
called amphibious, that il. they can live
both on land and in water. But while
full grown ones can do this. the babies.
tho tadpolea. would quickly die il taken
from the water. Let us 500 why this IN.
And first. got, II you can. some frogs
spawn or eggs, and learn with your own
eyes an interesting lesson in natural his
tory.
You will be likely 10 find the spawn in
pools, swamps, or uncovered wells IN
pastures. II h in such n we'll. really q
deep cask sunk by spring in the
meadow, where I often find il ia May. II
floats on tho top in masses as large as the
hand, looking like a clear. transparent
Jelly. II IL not, however, one solid
mass, but can be separated into many
globulss or eggs, as large as peas. In
the center of each IL dark brown dot.
Put tho jelly IN cup or glass, letting II
stand on . sunny window sill. The
water will evaporate. no every day or two
all tho cup. You will See change in
the jelly soon. IL becomes yeliowisti
around tho brown speck, aud that grows
larger and longer. Presently this seems
90 open, as il when the tips Of yonr
thumb aud fore6nger touched each other,
you should. little by little, draw them
apart until the finger was straight.
The Jelly grows a deeper yellow. and
pretty soon ont Of each egg will drop a
dark skinned fellow, with tail fringel
with something very like fins, having
othor delicate iringes about the neck,
and such bright specks OF eyes. Ro
broathes by means Of gills a. dishes do.
aud that is why he cannot live out Of
water. Frogs breathe through their
noslrils, and il is also believed that they
draw in air through their thin, smooth
skins.
Little tadpole now looks much more
haps beiall him, il the water isn't pois-
oned so he cannot breathe, if no duck
gobbles up little froggie," the horny
beak will by and by drop of, hind legs
will spront and grow, and grow. They
arc very long you know, and have much
growing 10 do. Then the fore legs mp
pear with their curious. hand-like claws.
and some fine day he finds himself like
little Bo-peep's sheep-he has lost his
tail Babyhood is now ever. and he is a
youthful frog.
Tadpoles generally feed upon leaves
and other vegetable substances, but one
naturalist tells Of their liking for animal
food, even nibbling at the toes of little
boys wading in the pond. Though frogs
can live long time without going into
the water, they prefer moist places. and
in drouth bury themselves under leaves
and shrubs. A shower quickly brings
them out Of their hiding places.
We cannot say the frog has music n
voice, but he makes curious sounds with
it.. In Brazil is species called the
blacksmith frog, because tho sound oi
his voice is like that of hammar on an
anvil. while in Peru another. with a
grating sound resembling a sugar mill,
is called the sugar mill. The male frogs
have deeper aud more powerful voices
than the females.
remember story told me when O
child, Of certain Major Bowman, not O
strictly honest man, who sometimes took
things without leave. One dark night as
he was carrying to his home some stolen
meat, he stopped on u bridge, when O
company of frogs began croaking. First
the deep, bass voices of the male frogs
began, and TO his guilty conscience they
seemed to say, "Maj. Bowmanl Maj
Bowmanl Maj. Bowmanp Then the
weaker shriller ones piped out, "Steals
meatl Steals meatl Steals meatr He
threw his stolen meat into the pond, and
sped homeward as fast as his feet could
carry him.
Many years age, my father was driving
some fatted cattle TO the market al
! Worcester. It was in midsummer, and
the journey, about twenty miles, was
made in the night that the cattle might
not be overheated. Somewhere on the
way, the road lay for distance between
swamps stretching away for miles, which
seemed to be alive with frogs. The sky
was thickly overcast, not glimmer oi
starlight to be seen. Suddenly, from
both sides of the road came deafenine
chorus of "Br.a-a-ecketty-e ecketty -keket
ty-whir-r-r, knax knax y as nearly al
can be translated into English, lasting
for half minute or more, and ending
with short, sharp note. Perfect silenct
followed, when, with one accord, the
whole troop began again, ending as be
fore, every hoarse bass, every shril