A history of British reptiles / By Thomas Bell...Illustrated by more than forty woodcuts.

  • Thomas Bell
Date:
1839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A history of British reptiles / By Thomas Bell...Illustrated by more than forty woodcuts. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    lopement of the young, is not so for the existence and health of the perfect animal. | Of the existence of the Frog in meeaactl very erroneous opinions have been entertained. I need not again allude to the legend of St. Patrick’s extirpatory malediction against the whole race of reptiles; but it is worthy of observation, that even of late years, the belief that Frogs, in common with Snakes, could not live in that favoured island was very ge- neral. ‘The truth, however, is, that this species is not only now an inhabitant of that place, but, as will appear by the following extract, has been so since the very beginning of the eighteenth century. I owe the knowledge of this passage to my friend W. Ogilby, Esq. who communicated it to me in the following letter :— ‘“‘ The following is the extract from Swift’s work of which I some time since spoke to you, concerning the introduction of Frogs into Ireland. It occurs in a tract styled, ‘ Consi- derations about Maintaining the Poor,’ which, though with- out date, I fancy from the context, and other collateral evidence, must have been written about the year 1726. Among the public grievances of which he complains, he rather singularly mentions the practice of insuring houses in English offices ; which, it appears, was then becoming com- mon in Ireland. ‘A third,’ [absurdity] says he, ‘is the In- surance Office against fire, by which ‘several thousand pounds are yearly remitted to England, (a trifle, it seems, we can easily spare,) and will gradually increase till it comes to a good national tax; for the society-marks upon our houses, (under which might be properly written, ‘The Lord | have mercy upon us,’) spread faster and farther than a colony of Frogs. To this passage, one of Swift’s editors, I believe Sheridan, adds the following note :—‘ This simili- tude, which is certainly the finest that could possibly have been used upon the occasion, scems to require a short ex-