Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1884-07-26
The, Frog.


The Frog.
Poor being wherefore dost thou fly
Why seek 10 shun my gazing eye
And palpitnte with fcnrf
Indulge passing travellers sight
Aud leap not on In vain alright,
Nocrnel foe Is here.
| would but pause awhile 10 view
Thy dapplcd coat Of many hue,
Thy rapid bounds survey;
And see how well thy limbs can gldo
Along the sedge-crowncd strcamlcts
aide,
Then Journey on my way
After the descent Of those warm
showers which frequently refresh
the earth In the month OF july very
singular phenomenon 10 sometimes
observed by those who pursue their
way through meadows and lan,ssoon
after the rain has ceased Myriads
OF young frogs are to bo seen leaping
about Ia oil directions; their appear
ance is so sudden and unexpected,
that IL would almost seem that they
had dropped from the cloads; while
their very small size convinces the
observer that they have but recently
emerged from the tadpole state. This
remarkable sight has given rise TO
the common superstition that frogs
do indeed fall In showers from the
clouds; and we find the extravagant
idea maintained by some theorists,
who affirm that the action OF vio-
lent wind is sufficient to elevate tho
spawn Of frogs and the.eggs Of snails
TO the region OF the air, whence the
creature In It's perfect state is again
returned TO the earth In the manner
above mentioned The impossiblity
Of this, on account Of the specific
gravity OF the eggs and spawn, In on.
tirely overlooked by those who en-.
terrain the absurd opinion.
Frogs are placed by naturalists In
the lowest rank In the animal king.
dom, and that, not so much on nc.
count Of their aquatic habits, which
In some measure assimulate them
with fishes,o on account Of their struc.
ture, which differs In some respect
from that Of all other animals. The
classification OF all animals into
such ~ breathe the free air and such
~ breath through the medium Of
water, does not hold good with TO.
spect TO the order Of reptiles, TO
which frogs belong. In the case OF
all other animals, each has it's prop
or element to which IL especially be.
longs, and out or which IL cannot
exist for any considerable time.
Many OF the inhabitants Of the air
lind their appropriate food In water,
and some Of the water animals pass
portion Of their time In the air, but
the degree In which they are able 10
do this, though different In different
species, has yet It's limits, and the
animal, whether In the embryo state
or arrived at maturity, cannot be *.
posed 10 the wrong element, beyond
certain period Of time, without the
extinction Of the vital principal
within 1t. The eggs OF aquatic rep.
tiles IN general, are, therefore, placed
where they may be batcbed In their
proper element, the aIr;--lhey are
deposited In holes In the sand, &C.,
beyond the reach Of the water, and
there left TO be developed by the suns
rays. But with tho common frog,
and other reptiles Of the order We are
now speaking OF, the case Ii very dif.
ferent. The spawn Of these animals.
which consists Of q large heap Of
clustered mass Of transparent eggs.
In each Of which the round, black
globule Of the embryo may be seen.
is deposited in pools and ditches
where the water IL shallow, and
where the full influence of the sun
and atmosphere may be- felt 10 the
bottom. There the eggs float on the
water having one side exposed 10 the