The common frog / by St. George Mivart.

  • St. George Jackson Mivart
Date:
1881
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The common frog / by St. George Mivart. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    If it is a fact that all the various species of animals have arisen through ordinary generation one fron. another by a process of development, the life history of the Frog may with reason be expected to have some bearing upon such a process, since every Frog begins its free existence with the organization of a Fish, and after undergoing a remarkable “ Metamor- phosis,” attains the condition of an air-breathing quadruped, capable of easy and rapid terrestrial locomotion. There is a matter with respect to which the zoolo- gist can hardly avoid regarding the botanist with envy. The creatures sought after by the latter may be rare or inhabitants of stations difficult of access, but at any rate they are incapable of flight or con- cealment, and specimens of some kind or other generally present themselves in plenty. On the other hand not only does the townsman of a thickly-peopled land like our own, often meet with fewer animals in his country walks than he antici- pated, but the explorer of tropical lands and virgin forests has frequently to endure disappointment from the contrast between the richness of a known local fauna and the little to be actually seen of the animal population of the place. hrogs and Toads, however, are often enough seen both at home and abroad, and when perceived generally fall a far more ready prey to the collector than do the swift-running Lizards and small Beasts which are the commonest ground-animals met with besides. The group is also rich in species as well as in individuals, and it is spread over the far greater . B 2