The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25


some of,them they had never seen before. As
to tho laymen present. they were astonished
that tba.e should be 70 many curious creatures
existing abous them by thousands. As q mat
ter Of fact, the numbers OF the frog family
familiar to ordinary Observers are limited to
the hoptoad. the green spring frog. and per-
haps the bullfrog and the wood frog. Tho
little peppers and tile cricket frog, the burrow-
ing frog. the. socalled tree toad. the leopard
frog, the plckerel frog, and others arc either
unknown 70 them or known only through the
sounds with waich some Of these batrachians
I'LL tho air at times. Even the bullfroR. whose
hoarse voice has given rise to many comic
tales and earned for him the titles of jug o.
Rum and Bloody-rouns, and whose legs are q
delicacy Of the market, Is known IN proper
person to few. for although he can ba heard
for n mile or moro on still and particularly on
damp nights. he keeps himself hidden In tho
moro remote neighborhoods OF deep and quiet
ponds and has q habit Of lying low or sliding
of into the water so silently when disturbed
that 1t takes n skilful hunter to find him. II
t'were not for an omnivorous appetite that be-
trays him into jumping at pie :es Of red flannel
or almost any. other bright object that moves
In his neighlorhood. and for his curiosity
ers to make a profit out of gathering his big
legs for the market.
During the winter months. while rho ground
is frozen or snow;covered and the frogs and
.oads are alternating Mr.. Sherwood 10 obliged
Se sSH' shieh ni he Keeps s'i IN % sn aqaaTia aas az spf Ss
home Mt AIS West l5oth street; but when tho
SPRING , SSn 6.Gini o war warm e the e.. Rr ond aH and
lite. its heat work! also in Mr.. ~Sherwood's
blood. ond he ind shimself irresistibly driven
study. on he goes across the Fort tse Ferry
Jersey. or across tho Harlem to the sylvan dele
of Bronx Park. and no never returns without
he SS% taxes Res With him for Capturing or confnins
his prey are all CT his own contrivance. but
none Of them Is NOR. used than his OWN hands.
poison toad and the wart-producinG qualities
Of the hop toad are old women's stories. and un-
secretion from the wart-llke protuberauces of
hlr skin which Is acrid enough TO make q dog
thhsS worst that any OF the .smiiy can do. and
unless one were small enough 70 be swallowed
i hy anu Of Them. Il a b%alifroe were eight feet
tall. there would be danger for even a ~six-foot
man, for bullfroGs hHye been known, Mr.:
the tails were left hanging out OF the froG's
mouth until the other end OF the fish had been
gradually digested and room had thus been
Before the winter ice is wholly gone in tho
70 PS" To- M n 1eS a 20. Mr. . sh ssS ~od" makes i1Sp his sf iifss
excursions. The earliest note heard, from the
d trSss is With Hns a that SSh H' eold. 0 Z. % can bs c fSs :
Initiated by taking two big marbles. or bowl
ers, IS the boys ussd u call them and stria.
in quick succession. then waiting a moment
and Tspsr q 81, the v, cRs,s.l ST:, T Mr' shs soSnds
and about Nsrdhof and Hohoiu: IN New
comes from Tho cricket frog. q tiny specimen
not moro than an inch long ~ he sits, when
hun,s srG Ssn : saS g h. ns'i' Il. .h Hao Sn,' t E aim esss
only DO found about the edges OF permanent
.~nAa A IN thu ~ hthAA In
the long dark grass that borders such ponds
and sends its leaves far out into the water.
ther away and even climb into trees:
ITO catch the smaller or very active iroGs.''
S %san nd on sh q nCSD Of II irS Sar about q Il iar insRo! n 1t
diameter which e made With lag screw t9
perhaps, and 8 Inches wide, made Of cheese
cloth: In one OF thess can drop a frog or ,oad
! can tie a knot IN the stun lust above him and
then drop in others and separate them in tho
stun lets in air and at tho same time
will hold moisture enough to Keep the skin
y humber Of little tin psiis into which / can
put tadpoles aud such things In water. Then
have a Gaze Of my own eonstiyanSs for sala;
II is q cylindrical contrivanco made of gal
vanized wire cloth Of hne mesh. about 8 inches
snap to The cover and a. ball TO carry It bY.
THE northern limit for the cricket frog is
Of their capture at Green wood Lake, NJ J. l
ind them abundant along. the Saddle River
thoy arc sparinGly found in the low lying
lands to. the east; l have heard their notes
1t Fort Leo and have captured specimens ut
Eordhoff. They may DO found in numbers
around the pond q the old Joseph Jefferson
early in the spring and before the Appearance
OF the peppers, their %rattlinR, broken CRY may
DO heard. II 10 not SHARP Ike that OF the hvla
OF 1esper, and would not be noticed unless