Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 9.djvu/833

F R O F R 797 been introduced from the Continent. It has since been in troduced into various parts of the south of England, but apparently without much success, the summer heat there being, it is said, insufficient to enable the tadpole to attain Fro. 2. Rana palwtris. its full development before the advent of autumnal cold. It may be readily distinguished from the common species by the yellowish mesial line which runs down the whole length of its back, by the absence of the characteristic brown spot behind the eyes, and by the presence in the males of "vocal sacs." It is also more aquatic than the common frog, seldom leaving the banks of its native pond or stream, into which it is always ready to dip on the slightest appear ance of danger. It is very abundant throughout central and southern Europe, and forms, especially in France, a valued article of food, the hind legs when cooked being re garded as a luxury. Kegarding a dish of these, Mr F. Buckland says, " Most excellent eating they were, tasting more like the delicate flesh of the rabbit than any thing else I can think of." The edible frog has been lately intro duced into Ireland. The Bull-frog (Rana muyiens] is one of the largest species, measuring sometimes 8 inches in length, exclusive of the hind legs, and having a gape suf ficiently wide to swallow ducklings whole. It inhabits North America, where it is said to haunt the pools formed at the origin of springs, the waters of which it was supposed to keep pure a belief which long afforded it considerable protection ; lately, however, the Americans have taken to frog-eating, and the bull-frog, in the absence of R. escidenta, h is been selected among others for this purpose. The Tree-frogs (fig. 3) are readily distinguished from all others by having the ends of their toes dilated into knobs or FlG. 3. Tree-frog (Hyla bicolar). discs, generally provided with a sticky secretion, by means of which they can cling to the leaves and branches of trees. They are small, elegant, and exceedingly active creatures, the males possessing loud voices, of which they make copi ous use during the breeding season and on the approach of rain. Frogs have from remote times been regarded as weather prophets, and at the present day, in some parts of Germany, the European Tree-frog (Hyla arborea) is used as a barometer. A few of them are placed in a tall bottle provided with miniature ladders, the steps of which they ascend during fine weather, seeking the bottom again on the approach of rain. All frogs, whether arboreal or not, have their hind feet webbed, and in at least one tree- frog (Rhacophorus) the webs on all the feet are so largely developed as to render it probable that by their means the frog is able to execute flying leaps. This " flying frog " was brought to Mr Wallace, while travelling in Borneo, by a Chinaman, who assured him " that he had seen it come down in a slanting direction as if it flew." Its body was about 4 inches in length, and the expanded webs of each hind foot covered a space of 4 square inches, while its fore legs were bordered by a membrane features highly sug gestive of aerial locomotion. Fossil remains of the frog do not occur in strata older than the Tertiary, being found in greatest abundance in the Miocene deposits. See AMPHIBIA. (j. 01.) FROHLICH, ABRAHAM EMANUEL (1796-1865), a German-Swiss poet, was born February 1, 1796, at Brugg, in the canton of Aargau, where his father was a teacher. At the age of fifteen he was sent to study theology in the academy of Ziirich. In 1817 he was ordained, and returned as teacher to his native town, where he lived for ten years. He was then appointed professor of German language and literature in the canton-school at Aarau, which post he lost, however, in the political quarrels of 1830. He afterwards obtained the post of teacher and rector of the Bezirksschule, and was also appointed Hulfsprediger. He died December 1 , 1865. His works are 1 70 Fabeln (1825); Schweizerlieder (1827) ; Das Evangdium, St Johannis, in Liedern (1830) ; Elegien an Wiey und Sary (1835) ; Die Epopven ; Ulrich Zwinyli (1840) ; Ulrich von Hatten (1845) ; Amerleseiie Psalmen und Geistliche Lieder fur die Evan<ielisch-re- formirte Kirche des Cantons Aargau (1844); Ueber den Kirchenyesang der Protestanten (1846) ; 2 rostlieder (1852) ; Der Junge Deutsch-3fichel (1846); Reimspriiche aus Siaat, Scknle, und. Kirche (1820). An edition of his collected works, in 5 vols., was published in 1853. Frohlich is best known for his two heroic poems, Ulrich Zwinyli and Ulrich von Hutten, and especially for his fables, which have been ranked with those of Hagedorn, Lessing, and Gellert. FROISSART, JEAN(1337-14101). The personal history of Froissart, the circumstances of his birth and education, the incidents of his life, must all be sought in his own verses and chronicles. He possessed in his own lifetime no such fame as that which attended the steps of Petrarch; when he died it did not occur to his successors that a chapter might well be added to his Chronicle setting forth what manner of man he was who wrote it. The village of Lestines, where he was cure", has long forgotten that a great writer ever lived there. They cannot point to any house in Valen ciennes as the lodging in which he put together his notes and made history out of personal reminiscences. It is not certain when or where ho died, or where he was buried. One church, it is true, doubtfully claims the honour of holding his bones. It is that of St Monegunda of Chimay. Gallorum sublimis honos et fama tuorum, Hie Froissardc, jaces, si mode forte jaces. It is fortunate, therefore, that the scattered statements in his writings may be so pieced together as to afford a toler ably connected history of his life year after year. The personality of the man, independently of his adventures, may be arrived at by the same process. It will be found that Froissart, without meaning it, has pourtrayed himself in clear and well-defined outline. His forefathers were jures of the little town of Beaumont, lying near the river