Geology. 457 



of the ground. There was a pond beside the road, about 

 20 yards from where I found them. The frogs seemed in a 

 languid state, but began walking as soon as I took them out 

 of the ground. — E. S. T. March, 1833. are aoir- 



Communications on this subject will be found in Vol. II. 

 p. 103. 208. 289., Vol. IV. p. 147.; and others, contributive 

 to the history of the common frog, in Vol. II. p. 103. 209. 

 289., Vol. III. p. 326., Vol. V. p. 84. 291. 490., Vol. VI. 

 p. 206. ; on other species of frog, there are notices in Vol. I. 

 p. 284. ; lihna arborea L., Vol. I. p. 479. ; 7?ana esculenta L.j 

 Vol. V. p. 104. — J. D. ahimii'id 



The Natterjack in Norfolk, (p. 185.) — The natterjack 

 (2?ufo jRubeta Fleming) was tolerably abundant on the estate 

 of the late Dr. Kigby, at Framlingham, near Norwich, which 

 is a high ground, with some marshy spots. Several speci- 

 mens have been captured at St. Faith's [? St. Faith's Newton 

 bogs] ; and I caught one on the loose sand in the chalk pit 

 near the lunatic asylum, Thorpe [near Norwich]. — Samuel 

 Woodward. Norwich, March 26. 1833. 



Geology. — Serpents not naturally destroyed either by 

 Hedgehogs or Mice ; the natural Incarceration of Toads, 

 Sfc, in Trees and Stones ; and the Process of Formation hi 

 Meteoric Stones, not yet accounted for. — Sir, Dr. Buckland 

 has given us the account of an experiment made by confining 

 together a hedgehog and a snake, wherein the former, in 

 process of time, killed the latter, and partially devoured it ; 

 and it is hence inferred, that one purpose of the hedgehog, in 

 the economy of nature, may be, to thin the earth of these 

 reptiles. 1 am sorry to confess that, to me, at least, the ex- 

 periment proves nothing. The circumstances under which 

 they were placed were forced and unnatural ; and, even by 

 Dr. Buckland's account of the matter, the hedgehog had to 

 be goaded to the deed. It seems to have destroyed the 

 snake as an invader of its repose, and hunger impelled the 

 hedgehog to make a sorry meal on the body of its enemy; 

 for there was nothing else for it to eat. I have paid some 

 attention to the natural habits of the hedgehog, and had 

 always supposed that it roamed about at nightfall and at 

 night for its prey : at this period have not snakes retired into 

 the innermost recesses of their narrow windings, and the 

 question is, how the hedgehog is to get at them ? A few weeks 

 ago, a serpent was caught among the ruins of Whitby Abbey. 

 I had seen it for several days under a bell glass, and it ap- 

 peared very lively ; it was a specimen of the Coluber Z?erus L. 

 A mouse was introduced to it as food; but in the following 

 morning the viper was found dead, and partly eaten. Will 



