See RANA. ERPETOLOGY Index.

Frog Fish. See RANA.

Fish of Surinam, a very singular animal, of which a figure is given by Mr Edwards, Hist. of Birds, vol. i. There is no specimen in the British museum, nor in any private collection, except that of Dr Fothergill. It was brought from Surinam in South America.—Frogs, both in Asia and Africa, according to Merian, change gradually from fishes, to frogs, as those in Europe; but after many years revert again into fishes, though the manner of their change has never been investigated. In Surinam these fishes are called jatjes. They are cartilaginous, of a substance like our muskela, and exquisite food: they are formed with regular vertebrae, and small bones all over the body divided into equal parts; are first darkish, and then gray: their scales make a beautiful appearance. Whether this animal is, in its perfect state, a species of frog with a tail, or a kind of water lizard, Mr Edwards does not pretend to determine; but observes, that when its size is considered, if it should be deemed a tadpole at first produced from fawn, and in its progress towards a frog, such an animal, when full grown, if it bears the same proportion to its tadpole as those in Europe do, must be of enormous size; for our full grown frogs exceed the tadpoles at least 50 times. See ERPETOLOGY Index.