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ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA.

RAN

RAN

Rana.

the frog, in a Mr Pennant fupposes to have

the order of amphibia reptilia. The body is naked, furnished with four feet, and without any tail. There are 17 fpecies. The most remarkable are,

1. The temporaria, or common frog. This is an animal fo well known, that it needs no description; but fome of its properties are very fingular.

Its fpring, or power of taking large leaps, is remarkably great, and it is the beit fwimmer of all four footed animals. Nature hath finely adapted its parts for thofe ends, the fore members of the body being very lightly made, the hind legs and thighs very long, and furnished with very ftrong muscles.

While in a tadpole ftate, it is entirely a water animal; the work of generation is performed in that element, as may be feen in every pond during fpring, when the female remains oppreffed by the male for a number of days.

The work of propagation is extremely fingular, it being certain that the frog has not a penis intrans. There appears a ftrong analogy in this cafe between a certain clafs of the vegetable kingdom and thofe animals; for it is well known, that when the female frog depofits its spawn, the male inftantaneously impregnates it with what we may call a farina fæcundans, in the fame manner as the palm-tree conveys fructification to the flowers of the female, which would otherwise be barren. As foon as the frogs are released from their tadpole ftate, they immediately take to land; and if the weather has been hot, and there fall any refreshing fhowers, you may fee the ground for a confiderable fpace perfectly blackened by myriads of these animalcules, fecking for fome fecure lurking places. Some philofophers, not giving themselves time to examine into this phenomenon, imagined them to have been generated in the clouds, and fhowered on the earth; but had they, like our Derham, but traced them to the next pool, they would have found a better folution of the difficulty. See Preternatural RAINS.

As frogs adhere closely to the backs of their own fpecies, fo we know they will do the fame by fifh. Walton mentions a ftrange ftory of their deftroying pike; but that they will injure, if not entirely kill carp, is a fact indifputable, from the following relation. Not many years ago, on fishing a pond belonging to Mr Pitt of Encomb, Dorsetshire, great numbers of the carp were found each with a frog mounted on it, the hind legs clinging to the back, and the fore legs fixed in the corner of each eye of the fish, which were thin and greatly waited, teized by carrying fo difagree VOL. XVI. Part I.

been males difapppointed of a mate.

The croaking of frogs is well known; and from that in fenny countries they are diftinguished by ludicrous titles: thus they are ftyled Dutch nightingales, and Bofton waites.

Yet there is a time of the year when they become mute, neither croaking nor opening their mouths for a whole month: this happens in the hot feafon, and that is in many places known to the country people by the name of the paddock moon. It is faid, that during that period their mouths are fo clofed, that no force (without killing the animal) will be capable of opening them. as other reptiles, feed but a fmall The food of this genus is flies, inToads are faid to feed alfo on bees, and to do great injury to those useful infects. During winter, frogs and toads remain in a torpid ftate: the last of which will dig into the earth, and cover themselves with almoft the fame agility as the mole. See PHYSIOLOGY, no 48 and note (B), and no 52.

Thefe, as well fpace of the year. fects, and fnails.

2. The efculenta, or edible frog, differs from the former, in having a high protuberance in the middle. of the back, forming a very fharp angle. Its colours are alfo more vivid, and its marks more diftinct; the ground colour being a pale or yellowish green, marked with rows of black spots from the head to the rump.This, and (Mr Pennant thinks) the former, are eaten. He has feen in the markets at Paris whole hampers full, which the venders were preparing for the table, by fkinning and cutting off the fore-parts, the loins and legs only being kept; but his ftrong diflike to thefe reptiles prevented a close examination into the fpecies,

3. In the country of Pennfylvania, and fome other parts of North America, there is a very large fpecies of frogs called the bull-frog, or rana ocellata. Their irides are of a dufky red, furrounded with a yellow ring. The auricles are covered with a thin circular fkin, which forms a spot behind each eye. They have four toes on the fore-feet, and five palmated toes behind. Their colour is a dufky brown, mixed with yellowish green, and fpotted with black. The belly is yellowish, and faintly fpotted. These make a monftrous roaring noife like a bull, only fomewhat more hoarfe. Their fize is fuperior to that of any other of the genus, and they can spring forward three yards at a leap. By this means they will equal in fpeed a very good horse in its swifteft course. Their places of abode are ponds, or bogs with flagnant water; but they never frequent ftreams. When many

A

of

Rana.

Rana,

of them are together, they make fuch a horrid noife,
that two people cannot understand each other's fpeech.
They croak all together, and then ftop for a little and
begin again. It feems as if they had a captain among
them: for when he begins to croak, all the others fol-
low; and when he ftops, they also become filent. When
this captain gives the fignal for ftopping, you hear a
note like poop coming from him. In the day-time they
feldom make any great noise, unless the sky is covered;
but in the night-time they may be heard at the distance
of a mile and an half. When they croak, they are
commonly near the furface of the water, under the
bushes, and have their heads out of the water. By go
ing flowly, therefore, one may get up almoft quite clofe
to them before they go away. As foon as they are
quite under water, they think themfelves fafe, though it
be ever fo fhallow. These creatures kill and eat young
ducklings and goflings, and fometimes carry off chickens
that come too near the water; when beaten, they cry
out almost like little children. As foon as the air be-
gins to grow a little cool in autumn, they hide them-
felves under the mud in the bottom of ftagnant waters,
and lie there torpid during the winter. As foon as the
weather grows mild towards fummer, they begin to get
out of their holes and croak. They are fuppofed by
the people of Virginia to be the purifiers of waters, and
are refpected as the genii of the fountains. Some of
them were brought to England alive feveral years ago.
4. The bufo, or toad, is the most deformed and hi-
deous of all animals. The body is broad; the back flat,
and covered with a pimply dufky hide; the belly large,
fwagging, and fwelling out; the legs fhort, and its
pace laboured and crawling; its retreat gloomy and
filthy in short, its general appearance is fuch as to
ftrike one with disgust and horror. Yet it is faid by
those who have refolution to view it with attention,
that its eyes are fine; to this it feems that Shakespeare
alludes, when he makes his Juliet remark,

Some fay the lark and loathed toad change eyes;
As if they would have been better beftowed on fo
charming a fongfter than on this raucous reptile.

But the hideous appearance of the toad is fuch as to
make this one advantageous feature overlooked, and to
have rendered it in all ages an object of horror, and
the origin of moft tremendous inventions. Elian
makes its venom fo potent, that bafilifk-like it convey-
ed death by its very look and breath; but Juvenal is
content with making the Roman ladies who were weary
of their husbands form a potion from its entrails, in
order to get rid of the good man. This opinion begat
others of a more dreadful nature; for in after-times fu-
perftition gave it preternatural powers, and made it a
powers, and made it a
principal ingredient in the incantations of nocturnal
hags.

This animal was believed by fome old writers to have a ftone in its head fraught with great virtues medical and magical: it was diftinguifhed by the name of the reptile, and called the toad-ftone, bufonites, crapaudine, krottenftein; but all its fancied powers vanifhSee Anared on the difcovery of its being nothing but the foffiltooth of the fea-wolf ‡, or of fome other flat-toothed

rbicas.

fifh, not unfrequent in our ifland as well as feveral other Rana.
countries.
But these fables have been long exploded. And as
to the notion of its being a poisonous animal, it is pro-
bable that its exceffive deformity, joined to the faculty
it has of emitting a juice from its pimples, and a dusky
liquid from its hind parts, is the foundation of the re-
port.

That it has any noxious qualities there feem to have been no proofs in the smallest degree fatisfactory, tho' we have heard many ftrange relations on that point.On the contrary, there have been many who have taken them in their naked hands, and held them long without receiving the leaft injury: it is alfo well known that quacks have eaten them, and have befides fqueezed their juices into a glafs and drank them with impunity. We may fay alfo, that these reptiles are a common food to many animals; to buzzards, owls, Norfolk plovers, ducks, and fnakes, who would not touch them were they in any degree noxious.

So far from having venomous qualities, they have of late been confidered as if they had beneficent ones; particularly in the cure of the moft terrible of difeafes, the cancer, by fuction: (See British Zoology, vol. iii. Append. p. 389, et jeq.) But, from all circumftances, as Mr Pennant obferves, they feem only to have rendered a horrible complaint more loathfome.

The most full information concerning the nature and qualities of this animal is contained in the following letters from Mr Arfcott and Mr Pittfield to Dr Milles." It would give me great pleasure (fays Mr Arfcott) to be able to inform you of any particulars worthy Mr Pennant's notice, concerning the toad who lived fo many years with us, and was fo great a favourite. The greateft curiofity in it was its becoming fo remarkably tame. It had frequented fome steps before the hall-door fome years before my acquaintance commenced with it, and had been admired by my father for its fize (which was of the largest I ever met with), who conftantly paid it a vifit every evening. I knew it myfelf above 30 years; and by conftantly feeding it, brought it to be fo tame, that it always came to the candle, and looked up as if expecting to be taken up and brought upon the table, where I always fed it with infects of all forts; it was fondeft of flesh maggots, which I kept in bran; it would follow them, and, when within a proper distance, would fix its eye, and remain motionlefs for near a quarter of a minute, as if preparing for the ftroke, which was an inftantaneous throwing its tongue at a great distance upon the infect, which fuck to the tip by a glutinous matter: the motion is quicker than the eye can follow (a).

"I always imagined that the root of its tongue was placed in the forepart of its under jaw, and the tip towards its threat, by which the motion must be a half circle; by which, when its tongue recovered its fitua tion, the infect at the tip would be brought to the place of deglutition. I was confirmed in this by never obferving any internal motion in its mouth, excepting one fwallow the inftant its tongue returned. Potlibly I might be mistaken; for I never diffected one, but cotented

(A) This rapid capture of its prey might give occafion to the report of its fascinating powers, Linnæus fays, Infecta in fauces fafcino revocat.

Ran..

Rama. tented my self with opening its mouth, and fightly in- but, when offered, it eat blowing lies and humble bees specting it.

that come from the rat-tailed maggot in gutters, or in “ You may imagine, that a toad, generally detested, short any infect that moved. I inagine, if a bee was (although one of the most inoffensive of all animals), to be put before a toad, it would certainly eat it to its so much taken notice of and befriended, excited the cost; but as becs are feldom stirring at the same time curiosity of all comers to the house, who all desired to that toads are, they can seldom come in their way, as see it fed ; so that even ladies so conquered the hor- they feldom appear after {ua-rising or before sun-set. rors instilled into them by nurses, as to defire to see it. In the heat of the day they will come to the mouth of This produced innumerable and improbable reports, their hole, I believe, for air. I once from my parlour making it as large as the crown of a hat, &c. &c.” window observed a large toad I had in the bank of a

The following are answers from the fame gentleman bowling-green, about 12 at noon, a very hot day, very to some queries proposed by Mr Pennant.

busy and active upon the grass ; so uncommon an ap“ Firji, I cannot say how long my father had been pearance made me go out to see what it was, when I acquainted with the toad before I knew it ; but when found an innumerable swarm of winged ants had dropI first was acquainted with it, he used to mention it ped round his hole, which temptation was as irreas the old toad I've known so many years ; I can answer tiltible as a turtle would be to a luxurious alderman. for 36 years.

“ Fifthly, Whether our toad ever propagated its Secondly, No toads that I ever saw appeared in species, I know not ; rather think not, as it always apthe winter season. The old toad made its appearance peared well, and not lessened in bulk, which it must as soon as the warm weather came, and I always con- have done, I should think, if it had discharged so large cluded it retired to some dry bank to repose till the a quantity of spawn as toads generally do. 'he females spring. When we new-lay'd the steps, I had two holes that are to propagate in the spring, I imagine, inftead made in every third step, with a hollow of more than a of retiring to dry holes, go into the bottom of ponds, yard long for it, in which I imagine it Nept, as it came and lie torpid among the weeds : for to my great surfrom thence at its first appearance.

prise, in the middle of the winter, having for amuseThirdly, It was seldom provoked: neither that toad, ment put a long pole into my pond, and twisted it till nor the multitudes I have seen tormented with great it had gathered a large volume of weed, on taking it cruelty, ever showed the least defire of revenge, by off I found many toads; and having cut some asunder spitting or emitting any juice from their pimples. - with my knife, by accident, to get off the weed, found

, , , Sometimes, upon taking it up, it would let out a great them full of spawn not thoroughly formed. I am not quantity of clear water, which, as I have often seen it positive, but think there were a few males in March ; do the same upon the steps when quite quiet, was cer- I know there are 30 males (B) to one female, 12 or 14 tainly its urine, and no more than a natural evacuation. of whom I have seen clinging round a female : I have

Fourthly, A toad has no particular enmity for the often difengaged her, and put her to a folitary male, spider; he used to eat five or fix with his millepedes to see with what eagerness he would seize her. They (which I take to be its chief food) that I generally impregnate the spawn as it is drawn (c) out in long provided for it before I found out that flesh maggots, strings, like a necklace, many yards long, not in a by their continual motion, was the moit tempting bait; large quantity of jelly, like frogs (pawn.

A 2

Sixtbly,

a

(B) Mr John Hunter has assured me, that during his residence at Belleisle, he diffected some hundreds of toads, yet never met with a single female

among

them.
(c) I was incredulous as to the obstetrical offices of the male toad ; but since the end is so well accounted
for, and the fact eftablished by such good authority, belief must take place.

Mr Demours, in the Memoirs of the French Academy, as translated by Dr Templeman, vol. i. p. 371, has
been very particular in respect to the male toad as acting the part of an accoucheur : His account is curious, and
claims a place here.

" In the evening of one of the long days in summer, Mr Demours, being in the king's garden, perceived two
toads coupled together at the edge of an hole, which was formed in part by a great stone at the top.

“Curiosity drew him to see what was the occasion of the motions he observed, when two facts equally new fur-
prised him. The first was the extreme difficulty the female had in laying her eggs, insomuch that she did not
seem capable of being delivered of them without some assistance. The second was, that the male was mounted on
the back of the female, and exerted all his strength with his hinder feet in pulling out the eggs, whilst his fore-
feet embraced her breast.

“ In order to apprehend the manner of his working in the delivery of the female, the reader must observe, that
the paws of these animals, as well those of the fore-feet as of the hinder, are divided into several tues, which cauz
perform the office of fingers.

“'t must be remarked likewise, that the eggs of this species of toads are included each in a membranous coat that is very firm, in which is coniained the embryo; and that these come ,' which are oblong and about two lines in length, being faftened one to another by a short but very stron arm a kind of chaplet, the beads of which are diftant from each other about the half of their len

zing this cord with his

Pem

that the male performs the function of a midwife, and acquits ki