Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-02-26

How long 1t Is possible for frogs to
live without air and food has been
matter Of experiment many times; but
Ia the face of well established instances
like those quoted It is difficult to con-
duct experiments that will be consider
ed rs being OF conclusive character.
That these creatures should be able to
live not for centuries only, but for ages,
appears contradictory to all reason and
common sense. In somescases frogs have
been found in cretaceOus rocks. The
oldest fossil toads and frogs occur In
tertiary rocks. If, therefore, those
found In cretaceous rocks had been
there from their formation it would be
equivalent to saying that the live frog
could be ages and ages older than its
fossil relative. TO most people such u
declaration would be the height Of alb
surdity. If Thoroughly inquired into 1t
would probably be discovered that in
each case there was assure in the rocks
or trees in which frogs have been found,
large enough for the admission Of water
and the embryo frog which has develop
ed there. 1t has been assumed by some
that tue frog naturally contains an acid
which by chemical action on the stone
provides that the space ut the frogs dis
posal shall be as large as its body. A
second hypothesis is that not the egg,
but the primary frog, scarcely larger
than the egg itself, falls into the rock
or tree and continues to grow, deriving
air and food in the form Of small insects
from the water that pehetrates to its
abode. Certain it ia that frogs, when
artificially secured i'm air-tight and water
tight vessels. speedily die. Experiments
made by members of the FrYch Acade-
my century ago proved this. Milne
Edwards early in the present century
inclosed frogs in vessels impervious to
air, and the creatures speedily persisted.
Three frogs were once Enclosed in
close box for eighteen months, at the
end of which time one was dead and the
remainder in dying condition. DIR.
Mccartney buried toad in vessel COW
cred with u slate about foot deep in
the ground. At the end Of fortnight
it seemed we'll and as plump as before.
When however, he inclosed the same
toad in an air-tight vessel and buried it
it soon died and at the end of week
was much decayed. DR.. BucklAnd made
some experiments which are claimed as
conclusive. He placed twelve toads sep
arately in twelve holes cut in blocks Of
hard fiinty sandstone. They were then
firmly sealed in. The imprisoned ami
mails were buried three feet deep on
November 26, 1926. At the same time
four tosds were deposited in holes cut
in the heart Of an apple tree and the
opening securely plugged. Four others
were also placed in plaster Of Paris.
On December 10, 1926, all the buried
toads were examined. All in the hard
stone and in the tree and two in the
plaster of Paris were dead. The remain
der were dying, but some placed in
softer stone were in tolerably good
health, and some were actually fatter
than when placed in the holes. From
this it would appear that in positions
where water car penetrate frogs may
live and even thrive, although buried at
a considerable depth, entirely away from
the light and any visible means Of sub
sistence.