Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-09-08
QUEER CLOTHES
The Frog and His Various Suits

By Dallas Love Sharp.

stop to study them, would often
prove very strange and interesting. IL
is only because they are familiar that
we seldom think of extending our ac-
uuaintance with the hope of discover
ing new and interesting character
istics.
need not ask our readers II there
is one of them who has never seen
frog. You all have, of course. But did
you ever notice how he was dressed?
dressed! Why" you exclaim, IF
there is one creature above another
that is not dressed, ii is the frog At
first sight this looks true enough, for
frogs do seem to wear very little
clothing: and, indeed, what need have
they for clothes? They live continual
ly along the water; much of their time
is actually spent in it; and so, If they
must have clothing, a bathing suit
ought at most to be sufficient.
But frogs are really dressed in two
suits all the time, and they wear out as
many as Is or 20 in a single summer.
Astonishing! Yes, and every suit is
made to order, and is perfect fit.
1dlCH liNC Va BIN AAOS@'
thumb over their backs till they are
almost dry. Among the number you
will find one or two from whose backs
you can peel off little films of clear,
colorless skin. If you continue, you
can pull it off their legs like stockings.
This is the frogs second best or every
day suit. He goes swimming In these
clothes. They were made on purpose
for bathing and gymnastics, and he
uses them altogether in his standing
broad Jump and high diving contests.
You do not pain him in the least by
taking them off in this manner, al
though they seem to be 4 tight fit.
You rather aid him, "a fact, for 1t
would be impossible t3zfa-' them on
at all If they were not worn out and
ready to be east aside. Without your
assistance he would have to take them
off alone, and it is no easy matter for
frog to undress.
Beneath his first suit Is another,
which he always keeps for best and in
which he feels very much dressed up"
How proud and really "swell' big
bullfrog feels when he first comes out
in these brave clothes! Did you ever
see a gayer dress? Look at his green
cap, his striped stockings, his spotted
vest and his big, expansive bosom. Mr.
Frog in full dress! He is up-to-date, in
the very latest style, except, alas! In
the length of his coat tails-they are
woefully short.
But why does he need two suits? Not
to keep him warm, surely? No; the
frogs have no winter clothing, and the
question of warmth never enters
frogs head when he Is getting new
clothes; for, though he fees the cold
as every other creature does, he re-
sorts to other means Of protection. As
soon as the first chilly nights of au-
tumn come on, he dives to the bottom
of the pond and digs in the mud soft,
warm bed, where he sleeps all winter
without fear of your waking him rs
you skate or slide over the frozen sur
face. It is not to keep the wearer
warm, but for quite another purpose
that the gay suit was intended. 1t is
especially made to protect him against
his many enemies.
Frogs, you know, have no sting, no
poison fang, no disagrecable odor with
which to defend themselves; the only
way they can escape the hawks,
snakes, small boys and the host Of
other foes Is by hiding from them, and
In doing this their gay dress aids them
more than anything else could.
1t is almost impossible to see frog
among the grass and rushes of n pond,
even while he is croaking. | once
looked at three small pond lily leaves
for nearly an hour to find q little
cricket frog, who was all the time
peeplng away from one of them, but
| I did not see him until he dove Off into
the water. He had been sitting upon
| the stem of the nearest leaf all the
time, but his green and spotted back
was so like the color of the leaf that
could not make him out until he
moved.
1t Is so hard to see these little frogs
| that most people believe that they are
not frors NJ all who make shis music
in the marshes, but some kind of
tadpole.
Frogs and their relatives-the toads
are never troubled about getting a
new suit, as to when or where, but they
| do, however, have to take care of their
old clothes, and it is very curious how
some Of their cast-off garments are
| disposed of.
A few days ago l picked up tree
| toad (Hyla Versicolor) stiff and nearly
| dead with cold. | brought him to my
room and put him in a wide-mouthed
| bottle to thaw out. Toward evening
he was quite alive, and sat on the bot
| tom of the bottle, his toes turned in,
his head cooked up, looking very much
surprised al the strange surroundings.
He made himself at home, however,
| so fixed cork to let in fresh air, and
| lett him in his new abode.
He seems to enjoy living with me as
much as he did In the hole of the old
apple tree in the garden. lie climbs up
| the sides Of the bottle, hangs on there,
| and goes TO sleep for whole day at
time Instead of n web between the
toes, as has the frog, there Is on each
toe of the tree toad little ball or
| disc. and il seems as easy for him to
| hold on the sides of the bottle with
| these as IL is to sit on the bottom. If
| turn him upside down he knows moth