Rev. Edward Stajiley on the Vitality of Toads, SSQ* 



and its eyes became dim, in fact, it. appeared so nearly exhaust- 

 ed and dying, that I released it from its confinement, and plac- 

 ed it under a flower-pot on moist garden earth, where it could 

 meet with worms and small insects, and enjoy a sufficiency of 

 air. The consequence was, that in the course of a day or two it 

 had completely recovered its natural colour, brilliancy of eye, 

 and full motion of its limbs ; and, when finally released, I had 

 the pleasure of seeing it crawl off under every symptom of en- 

 tire convalescence. One fact I remarked worthy of notice. I 

 have mentioned that Nos. 4 and 5 were placed in bottles in a 

 dry situation. In consequence probably of this, at the end of 

 about 12 hours I observed them to be in a state of violent per- 

 spiration as if every pore was exuding moisture, tp such a de- 

 gree, indeed, that the sides of the glass were covered with a 

 strong dew, which accumulated till it formed drops, collecting 

 at the bottom to the amount of about one-fourth of a teaspoon- 

 ful. Of the precise nature of this liquid, I am ignorant, but; 

 it probably contained a portion of some powerful acid, as in a 

 very short time I observed the ink to disappear from the small 

 labels I had enclosed in the bottles, containing the weights of 

 the toads and dates of their confinement. It is clear from 

 these several experiments, that the commonly received belief 

 that these reptiles can exist in blocks of stone and stems of soli<l 

 wood, is perfectly false ; notwithstanding the almost numberless 

 instances on record, apparently well attested, of their vitality 

 under the joint additional singularity of exclusion of air and 

 privation of food. My experiments are, indeed, more to the 

 point of their inability to exist for any length of time unless 

 amply supplied with air and food of their own selection, than 

 Dr Buckland's ; for I should observe, that although in the in- 

 stance of No. 5, absolute exclusion of air, exclusion of food is 

 also implied, in the cases No. 1, 2, 3, both food and air were 

 both more or less amply supplied, for, in the flower-pots I not 

 only found several small scolopendra, but quantities of more 

 minute insects, consisting chiefly of the Podura Jimetaria. Now, 

 it is evident, that to that depth, air must have penetrated, or 

 the insects themselves could not have existed ; and that it must 

 have been to a degree quite sufficient for animal Hfe, is equally 

 certain from these insects having descended so far from choice. 



o 



There is still, however, considerable mystery in the history of 



