Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-25
TALES OF THE BULLFROG.
When Irritated Sufficiently He VIII
Attack Goldfish.
From the Hartford Times

When Irritated Sufficiently He Will
Attack Goldfish.
From the Hartford Times
"Oh! mamma, did you see that horrid
bullfrog jump for the goldfish?' was the
exclamation Of a pretty little tot as she
stood with her mother looking at the gold
fish In the pond at Bushnell Park on
Thursday. The child followed with her
eyes the tiny fish and It's hideous pur-
suer and watched with evident pleasure
the distance between the two lengthening
until the fish was out of danger.
Policeman Strickland, who has been do
Ing police duty on the park for number
OF years, Ia probably more familiar with
the habits of the deniZens of the pond than
any one else in the city. Mr.. Strickland
says that the bullfrogs do not habitually
prey on the fish. The ugy-looking crea-
lures live in harmony, as a rule, with their
beautiful neighbors. But occasionally a
bullfrog is seen eating a fish. Officer
Strickland does not believe that the pangs
Of hunger excite the frogs to make an at
tack on the fishes. They win not modest
them in ordinary circumstances. 1t is
only when the fish provoke them that they
will make an attack. When the fishes be-
come risky In their gambols and approach
too near frog, the latter shows its dis
like Of them by swapping. When the fishes
congregate in large schools to nibb,e at
the crumbs thrown in the water they
5ostle and jump over each other.
1t sometimes happens that at these feasts
frog will be enjoying siesta in the
shade of the leaf of an aquatic plant or a
tuft of grass. The quick movements of the
nimble fish in their bright hues of scarlet,
made more brilliant by the rays of the sun,
disturb the slothful creature near the bank.
Its bullying eyes assume fierce expression
and a discordant croak from its distended
throt indicates its rising wrath. 1t watches
the feasting beauties for a few minutes,
and then, with a gu.ping sound, 1t springs
among them. 1t always catches one in its
wide mouth and proceeds to devour it's VIC
tim more in anger than to satisfy hunger
1t Is well-known fact that the shaking of
anything bright or red in front of frog
irritates 1t beyond endurance
Those who make a business of catching
frogs. knowing that the creatures tempers
are affected by the quick movements of
anything of a red color, use piece of red
flannel as bait. The active movements Of
the goldfish have the same effect on the
frogs bait. So long as the fish swim
slowly by the frogs the latter will not
modest them.
Officer Strick,an tells the story Of a vo-
raclous bullfrog that Is worth repeating
He vouches for the accuracy of it, he hav-
Ing seen the frog and the fish. A frog
caught an unusually large goldfish one day
and swan to pond lily leaf to devour it
at Its ease. The head of the fish was in
the frogs mouth and the greater part Of
the body and tail protruded out of it. The
fish wriggled quite violently for a few min
utes and then died. But the frog was un-
able to devour 1t, and made movements
which indicated a desire to be relieved of
the surplus portion of the fish which it
could not conveniently find room for. But
the fish, before it died, had wriggled itself
too far down the frogs throat to be eject
ed, and there 1t stuck. The frog remained
on the leaf in an apparently comatose state
for forty-eight hours. until 1t had digested
the entire fish.
A frog was seen one day in the pond
catching a sparrow and carrying 1t to its
Shiny quarters beneath the surface of the
water. The frog was an old one and was
of enormous size. 1t was seated among
tall grass when a child threw crumbs into
the water for the goldfish. Some of the
crumbs fell on large leaf, and sparrow,
hungry for its meal. had the temerfty to
fly from the branch of tree onto the leaf
10 pick ,crumb. AS the bird lighted on
the leaf the frog made a quick jump and
landed right on top of the intruder. There
was an a8itated dutter and cry of de-
spair from the bird as the frog seized it
and Owed with 1t beneath the water.