A history of British reptiles / By Thomas Bell.

  • Thomas Bell
Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A history of British reptiles / By Thomas Bell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Rusconi complains of having had considerable difficulty in ascertaining the proper food for the Tadpoles, so as to preserve them in health during his observations on their developement. He found, however, by accident, that they would thrive upon the green sediment which results from the agitation of decayed vegetable matter in water ; and I have succeeded completely in keeping them on the decay- ing vegetable matter without any artificial preparation. In their more advanced period, but still before the growth of the extremities, they fed indifferently upon animal or vegetable substances, actually gnawing away the substance of almost any kind of leaf that was placed in the vessel, as soon as it became softened. I have reason to believe, also, that they often killed their own companions, as soon as these, by the acquisition of their limbs, had nearly assumed their ultimate form. Suspecting this, I placed in a large glass globe of water, several Tadpoles, more or less nearly approaching their final change, and I observed that almost as soon as one had acquired its limbs it was found dead at the bottom of the water, and the remaining Tadpoles feed- ing upon it. This took place with all of them successively excepting the last, which lived on to complete its change, and for a considerable time afterwards. The little animal has now undergone its complete deve- lopement ; and having become capable of respiring air by true lungs, and of progressing with great freedom on land bv means of its hinder legs, it comes on shore to feed on small insects and worms. Such multitudes of these newly perfected little beings are often found in damp weather en- joying their new scene of existence, as to have given rise to many a story of its having rained Frogs ;—a fable which is still devoutly believed in many parts of the country. They now grow with great rapidity during the remainder of the
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