The Somerset reporter., 1888-12-13
An Ancient Frog.
DrGIGou >> Australian clAn Bfn

I-0ul - T. liHccria-l
The daily press have recently devoted
some length to detailing the later history
Of an old toad. who was only allowed to
live three DAYS after having hrcu dug ont
Of "A cavity wherein he had secluded HIM
self for trilc of 10000 Years or more
and how a local surgeon endcaVoru4
to improve on nature, hoping 10 enable
him to take foot, slit the membrane by
which Ai. mouth WIS closed. All the pa
dent unfortunately mad not vitality
enough to survive the operation, The
theory has been discussed IL 10 whether
the toad would have continued to live
above ground had hr been left in the ma
tura condition in which he Was found
The following j. the authentic history of
how such another reptile OF kindred
species was found, the length Of whose
retirement could only be- measured by a
geological period Of time, and vino wa>
returned to hi loug past oYer-ruund life
and condition 10y natural mean~
In the Plenty valley. Victoria, salnc
time in the early seventies, road party
We're making deep cutting through some
clay bed, 10 improve local traffic 1aciu-
ties The clay he'd wa> tertiary torua-
ton. it Was hard aud of a yellow color
On the clay bank gum trees some hun
drrd~ of Years old. were growing, When
anout 30 feet below the surface a block
of this CLAY in falling broke in two pieces
out of which fumplcd liltle irn- with a
hody about - inches lan4 and ] IA
wide. lie seemed blind and sleepy though
shown. every evidence of life. lie MS
apparently A. strong A. any e'aer tra4 Of
the same size. he WAS In n way thin i'm
fact. seemed to be "A well uurtlrod and
properly cared for frog.
The block of clay was reduced i'm sic.
and the frog, with the two pieces which
formed his DIV, Hing were sent To the
Toehnulu4ical Museum. Melbourne. Mr.
Newhury. the chief of that Institution.
examined HIM very closely. and found
that all he natural orjlice> Of the body
had closed completely; in fact there wa>
not trace of them remaining In eplnr
the frog WAS dirty yellow, such H. the
clay, without any variation OF tiuge. Mr.
NcNbcrry sent this creature for ideut.t-
cation to Frederick Mccoy. /. Ii. 5. pro-
fr>>ur of natural >cirurit> Melbourne
University. Professor NeGaY Identified
him H. "a member of u wr. known speeir>
whose habits were II times of trnaa.r,
such ~ drought or cold, In bury them
>rlye, IN tn. earth and remain There uG-
til the condition Of talu.~ 6rrc more 10
their liking Members IF tar ~paa.a>.
mentioned. however, N,Ic "A yellow ga.or.
notified With brown.
After the Identification. tIe creature
VA, again returned o. MI. Nch 5erfy
rAl> gentleman determined IN SIZE 4 he
could by some natural process educate
the sleepy specimen into marr NI1or-
uu> and better m ler,'IuJn4 ot his da-
tie, a. a live frog II was thea dou,-
cIltd in a small trruery i'm the mise m.
and it was decided to give him bath ey-
cry morning. a proceedings Which frog
" seemed strongly tn object to. tHnG-u
he swan vigorously in the water, When
pnt back into his clay cavity hc Wri-4ied
himself about until he tount the old
groove. folded hIm>eii up and seemed
most couteutrd. Thi~ cavity. might be
described H. fitting him where II touched
him. that i, In say, though touching him
all over the more prominent parts ol The
body. the clay was not mouided into iho
hoioN> formed by the folding oil M>
limbs. After short while the CLAY bed
was taken from him, and he was ~
amongst the ferns on the mould, iHf0
which hc rapidly >auh stern first by pr-
Guitar motion of the hind leg. tnr M
morning oath hc had To he dal up ga y
then badk he would 20 INTO >eein>i'h
In "a little while two patches oi ah>'
were noticed on his most; these Wtf@ eA-
AmInrd ~ mtEullNlrG Gias> and II Ma
found that IN the centre nl eacH Wa an
infinitely minute hale. lp>l Where IHe nus
lriis should he. After enforced ''a.n-
aud daily CArr'l>t Tor ABOUT 9lN or cant