The Coolidge examiner., 1933-03-10
Preparing Frog Legs for Epcures.

Prepared by National Geographic Society.
Washington. d. C.-WNU Service.
TROGS, once famous only for
ftheir hind legs, but whose skins
- now make book covers and fine
glue. annually add more than $780,
900 10 the Industrial census figures
OF Louisiana. Frog raising and the
collection of frogs from streams,
ponds. and swamps are therefore
becoming important activities.
II requires from four to five
years for the frog whose legs are
edible to reach adult size. When
the warm spring sun tempers the
water in our ponds, 1t Is mating
time for frogs. A female frog may
lay as many as 240 eggs. The eggs
are deposited In small masses on
water plants or on sticks or leaves
lying in shallow water. An egg
consists OF the yolk-the round
black center-and the vitelline en-
velope-the surrounding transpar-
ent membrane-which begins to alb
sorb water as soon as the egg is
laid. and thus Immediately swells
TO be several times its original size.
But already danger besets the
germ of life growing there. A gray
fungus or mold may penetrate the
envelope. sprout upon the yolk. and
thus cut Off the life of the little
frog before II has well begun. But
II fate is kind and conditions are
favorable. the central yolk, at first
a single cell. begins at once to grow,
dividing into two cells. these into
four. these into eight, and so on In
the typical way.
Under favorable conditions, the
tadpole matches on the fourth day.
At first IL is a minute. fiattened.
yellowish object. with conspicuous
branching filaments. its gills at one
end and a coarse, rudderlike ap-
pendage. the tail. at the other.
Development Of Tadpole.
In a few days. when its mouth
parts have begun to develop. il nib
bles the "scum" of green algae
which forms a dense mat over every
submerged stone or pebble in the
stagnant pool.
The mouth OF the tadpole Is not
at all like that of the adult frog. A
sharply hooked beak. suggesting
that of a parrot, but almost mi
crOscopic in size, adorns the front
OF the tadpole's head and Is useful
as a means Of scraping and tearing
at the minute water plants and an
imals which it takes for food.
AT this stage tadpoles are scav-
engers. and fortunate are they TO
rich mans table in the form of
fragments Of fish or other food left
by larger and more careless ban
Queters in Natures storehouse.
This rich fare fattens the tadpole's
body To ridiculous rotundity. His
tiny. lidless eyes stare solemnly up
ward at the water surface, TO which
ne must now rush every few mo-
ments for lungful of air as his
gills are beginning to be absorbed
and he has had since TO depend
largely on his two nostrils, equipped
with valves to keep them closed and
water-tight during his submarine
excursioning. augmented by spira-
culum, or breathing pore. at the left
side of his body.
Before the tadpOle is many
weeks old pair of budlike growths
sprouts near the base of the tail.
and shortly these elongate into a
pair of hind legs equipped with FIVE
toes. which closely resemble those
of the adult. At this stage a mar
velous power OF regeneration may
take place. for II toe or even a
leg is nipped off. another one will
grow in the place. an exact dupli-
cate of the one lost. After meta
morphosis is complete, this regen-
erative power ceases to function
and limb once lost Is not regrown.
Comes Out Of the Water.
Some days after the legs appear,
the right arm comes out. Now the
little tadpole stays near the top of
the water nearly all the time and
seems very uncomfortable. and no
wonder. His left arm is develop
ing just where the breathing pore
IS located. As soon as 1t bursts
through his troubles are lessened.
for now he can hop out on the bank
In true frog fashion and breathe the
air freely: for. as we have seen. his
noSirils have been functinning for
some time as air-breathing organs.
With the formation of his legs
his head structure has likewise
changed. The scraping black beak
gave place to the wide mouth char