British reptiles and batrachians . among the pond weeds, and are said tosecure each egg by pressing together with their legs the parts ofthe plant to hide it, as if prompted by an intelligent sense of pro-tecting their eggs from the swarms of little frog and toad tad-poles, and even their own near relatives, small fish, and otherhungry hunters, who would speedily devour them. The egg goesthrough the unequal segmentation, and when hatched the littletadpoles are at first furnished with suckers, somewhat more stalkedthan those of the fros, and with which to attach themselves to a THE NEWTS. 73 pl
British reptiles and batrachians . among the pond weeds, and are said tosecure each egg by pressing together with their legs the parts ofthe plant to hide it, as if prompted by an intelligent sense of pro-tecting their eggs from the swarms of little frog and toad tad-poles, and even their own near relatives, small fish, and otherhungry hunters, who would speedily devour them. The egg goesthrough the unequal segmentation, and when hatched the littletadpoles are at first furnished with suckers, somewhat more stalkedthan those of the fros, and with which to attach themselves to a THE NEWTS. 73 plant until their swimming tail and other organs are sufficientlydeveloped to enable them to enter upon their active life. Theirrespiration is at first aquatic, by means of gills, which are largerand more feathery than those- of the frog. As the growth of the young tadpoles progresses, you may watchthe limbs sprouting and the tail gradually acquiring size and strengthto serve them through life. Unlike the frog, the anterior limbs a. Fig. 27.—Eggs and Tadpoles of Newts (enlarged). a, b, c, d, eggs in various stages ; e,f, g, tadpoles showing the sprouting of limbs and branchiae. are the first to sprout, and the legs afterwards. As the lungsbecome developed the gills gradually disappear, and the young tad-poles become air-breathing animals. During this metamorphosisthe body of the tiny creature is sufficiently transparent for you, witha powerful lens, to watch the internal development, which is a studyof immense interest. Even what food they take and the process ofdigestion can be observed through their delicate skin, and youwill find them exceedingly voracious little feeders, and alsocannibals, unless plentifully supplied with other dainties. Tocatch young tadpoles with a muslin net, like a butterfly net, isnot at all difficult; but to feed them and keep them in healthwhen you have caught them is by no means easy, as they cantake only such very small prey. If you venture on the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidbritishrepti, bookyear1888
