(2) The bell frog, so called because their voice is fancied to be exactly like the sound of a loud cow bell. This tribe being very numerous, and uttering their voices in companies or by large districts, when one begins another answers; thus the sound is caught and repeated from one to another, to a great distance round about, causing a surprising noise for a few minutes, rising and sinking according as the wind sits, when it nearly dies away, or is softly kept up by distant disricts or communities: thus the noise is repeated continually, and as one becomes familiarised to it, is not unmusical, though at first, to strangers, it seems clamorous and disgusting.
(3) A beautiful green frog inhabits the grassy, marshy shores of these large rivers. They are very numerous, and their noise exactly resembles the barking of little dogs, or the yelping of puppies: these likewise make a great clamour, but as their notes are fine, and uttered in chorus, by separate bands or communities, far and near, rising and falling with the gentle breezes, affords a pleasing kind of music.
(4) There is besides this a less green frog, which are very common about houses: their notes are remarkably like that of young chickens: these raise their chorus immediately preceding a shower of rain, with which they seem delighted.
(5) A little grey speckled frog are in prodigious numbers in and about the ponds and savannas on high land, particularly in Pine forests: their language or noise is also uttered in chorus, by large communities or separate bands; each particular note resembles the noise made by striking two pebbles together under the surface of the water, which when thousands near you utter their notes at the same time, and is wafted to your ears by a sudden flow of wind, is very surprising, and does not ill resemble the rushing noise made by a vast quantity of gravel and pebbles together, at once precipitated from a great height.
(6) There is yet an extreme diminutive species of frogs, which inhabits the grassy verges of ponds in savannas: these are called savanna crickets, are of a dark ash or dusky colour, and have a very picked nose. At the times of very great rains, in the autumn, when the savannas are in a manner inundated, they are to be seen in incredible multitudes clambering up the tall grass, weed, &c. round the verges of the savannas, bordering on the higher ground; and by an inattentive person might be taken for spiders or other insects. Their note is very feeble, not unlike the chattering of young birds or crickets.
(7) The shad frog, so called in Pennsylvania from their appearing and croaking in the spring season, at the time the people fish for shad: this is a beautiful spotted frog, of a slender form, five or six inches in length from the nose to the extremities; of a dark olive green, blotched with clouds and ringlets of a dusky colour: these are remarkable jumpers and enterprising hunters, leaving their ponds to a great distance in search of prey. They abound in rivers, swamps and marshes, in the Southern regions; in the evening and sultry summer days, particularly in times of drought, are very noisy, and at some distance one would be almost persuaded that there were assemblies of men in serious debate. These have also a sucking or clucking noise, like that which is made by sucking in the tongue under the roof of the mouth. These are the kinds of water frogs that have come under my observation, yet I am persuaded that there are yet remaining several other species.
(8) The high land frogs, commonly called toads, are of two species, the red and black. The former, which is of a reddish brown or brick colour, is the largest, and may weigh upwards of one pound when full grown: they have a disagreeable look, and when irritated, they swell and raise themselves up on their four legs and croak, but are no ways venomous or hurtful to man. The other species are one third less, and of a black and dark dusky colour. The legs and thighs of both are marked with blotches and ringlets of a darker colour, which appear more conspicuous when provoked: the smaller black species are the most numerous. Early in the spring season, they assemble by numberless multitudes in the drains and ponds, when their universal croaking and shouts are great indeed, yet in some degree not unharmonious. After this breeding time they crawl out of the water and spread themselves all over the country. Their spawn being hatched in the warm water, the larva is there nourished, passing through the like metamorphoses as the water frogs; and as soon as they obtain four feet, whilst yet no larger than crickets, they leave the fluid nursery-bed, and hop over the dry land after their parents.
The food of these amphibious creatures, when out of the water, is every kind of insect, reptile, &c. they can take, even ants and spiders, nature having furnished them with an extreme long tongue, which exudes a viscid or glutinous liquid, they being secreted under covert, spring suddenly upon their prey, or dart forth their tongues as quick as lightning, and instrantly drag into their devouring jaws the unwary insect. But whether they prey upon one another as the water frogs do, I know not.
There are several species of the lizard kind besides the alligator, which is by naturalist allowed to be a species of that genus.
The green lizard or little green chameleon is a pretty innocent creature: the largest I have seen were not more than seven inches in length: they appear commonly of a fine green colour, having a large red gill under their throat: they have the faculty of changing colour, which, notwithstanding the specious reasoning of physiologists, is a very surprising phenomenon. The striped lizard, called scorpion, and the blue bellied squamous lizards I have already mentioned. There is a large copper coloured lizard, and a very slender one of a fine blue colour, and very swift; the tail of this last, which is very long and slender, is as subject to be broken off as that of the glass snake. These two last are become very scarce, and when seen are discovered about old log buildings.