The San Francisco call., 1909-04-24

T is amusing sometimes to hear peo-
pie declare that they have seen dur
ing a sharp spring or summer shower
thousands of minute living frogs rained
down on the roads and sidewalks. Why
they even go so far as to say-doubt-
fully-that they saw these frogs falling
like drops of rain. Like those others
who say they know of instances where
frogs have been found inclosed. alive
and well, in solid rocks hundreds. OF
years old, these persons adhere TO their
story with a fierceness that would be
laudabie if applied to more reasonable
things.
1t is perfectly true that during spring
rains swarms of the froglike babies ap-
pear in open places 50 suddenly as to
look as if they had Nallen that moment
in the rainstorm. How can this ana
other showers OF living animals be ex-
planned? For it is hardly credible that
small live animals weighing dozens OF
times what the raindrops do could be
lifted up into clouds by unseen forces
and suspended in cloudland until dropped
when the rain falls. Even the drops Of
water can not stay up there when they
are formed. and they are not lifted up
as drops, but as vapor. We must look
for some more reasonable explanation
a shower of frogs and YOU will al
most certainly discover them to be not
frogs, but toads. Frogs live in or near
the water; toads are land animals. liv-
ing in damp places But the eggs of
both are Matched in water, forming tad
poles, which grow into tiny frogs or
toads, as the case may be. Now, these
little baby toads hide away in corners
of cellars, stones, logs and so on-a
fer hat 40
When a sudden shower comes up the
running water disturbs the animals.
which in the simplicity of infanthood
come out OF their corners and holes to
seek drier places. That is the simple
explanation of this marvellous shower
OF frogs"
Another favorite kind of shower
consists of worms of various sorts--in
particular. earthworms. After rain the
roads and sidewalks are sometimes
spotted with the red bodies OF these
useful creatures, which have not fallen
in showers from the vaults OF heaven,
but have been washed out OF the loose
soil by the sudden violent rain and
cling to the hat places as the water
drains Off again. They are oftenest
seen where sidewalks pass a bank or
elevated lawn.
Another astonishing shower is
composed Oh just the culeSI nIJle live
snakes you ever saw" as we have
heard 1t stated. In some cases the
wrigglers are really baby garter
snakes, which have possibly all come
from one or two mothers. for a garter
snake mother may have as many as 50
twins" born at one time. Perhaps
she was hidden in hole under a stone
somewhere near by, and the rain. while
not disturbing her at all, frightened the
babies, whioh all ran out together
Such a shower is very local oi
course, but it has been noted that peo-
pie mistake wriggling larvae of insects
for snakes when they are not gooC
observers. Often a heavy rain viii
wash myriads of measuring worms
or brown caterpillars or other squirn-
ing things out of trees, scattering then
about over everything, as If they hae
literally come down from the blaci
rain clouds above. 1t takes a pinch o.
common sense to ward of belief il
showers of animals.
In the case OF flying creatures, o
course. it is different. Up in the north
ern border states, opposite the grea
forests of Canada and the Maine o.
Michigan woods. people are often Wis
tied by tiny black fly, which arrives
in dense clouds with a northsrly wind
These are Canada black flies, and
great pest TO householders.