"The Last Word" - At Last!

New Scientist 24th July 2004, Page 89, Column 4:
or
http://www.newscientist.com/lastword/article.jsp?id=lw1101

The Question:
"I attach a photo of a phenomenon that has me baffled. These gelatinous lumps turn up about this time each year, around the perimeter of the pools in my garden. Although they appear at around the time frogs are breeding, they do not seem to be spawn because they don't appear to contain any eggs. The photo shows lumps that have been subject to rain: when fresh they are more angular in shape. They remain in the grass for up to a week, and then disappear as quickly as they appeared.Bob Harbinson , Welshpool, Powys, UK"
My Answer:
"Certain types of compost for flower tubs and baskets contain "water-storing granules that retain hundreds of times their own weight in water". They allow the compost to stay moist for longer, so that plants need watering less frequently.
I used some surplus compost in my strawberry tubs, and after several days of heavy rain angular lumps of "jelly" worked their way to the soil's surface. The longer the lump survived, the more rounded and blob-like it became.David Williams , Bournville, Birmingham, UK"
 
Ok it turns out that I am most probably wrong and they did not use my photos and the one published in the magazine looks nothing like the original questioners photo.....

 
Mr Harbinson's Photo:
 
  

and my photos:

so I guess it really is proto-frog-spawn but I have my 1.5 column inches of fame...