228 Rev. Edward Stanley on ttte Vitality of' Toads. 



sil fruits called Anomocarpon Musocarpon, &c., or of the fruit, 

 of Cycadeoidea, Anniilaria, Asterophylites and many others. 

 Now these are difficulties that probably may be removed with 

 diligent research among the beds in which such fossils occur ; 

 and which, if removed, would contribute much more to fixing 

 the science upon a sohd basis, than the discovery of species not 

 before described. — Lindley and Huttons Fossil Flora of Great 

 Britain. 



On the Vitality of Toads. By the Rev. Edward Stanley, 

 F. L. S., E. G. S., &c. -Communicated by the Author. 



Sir, 

 In No. 25 of your valuable Journal, page 26, you have insert- 

 ed an interesting paper on the vitality of toads by Professor 

 Buckland. If other experiments, partly similar, attended with 

 similar results, are worthy of recording, you may insert the fol- 

 lowing. 



On the 22d June 1830, I placed three toads. No. 1, weighing 

 6 drachms ; No. 2, weighing 17^ drachms ; No. 3, weighing 31^ 

 drachms, in separate flower-pots, covering the surface with a 

 tile, as well as the hole at the bottom. They were then buried 

 about four feet deep in garden soil, and dug up on the 21st 

 March 1831, all dead. It appeared, however, from the state 

 of their remains, that they had died at different times, the body 

 of one being in nearly a perfect state, whereas of another no- 

 thing remained but the bones. Conceiving that the damp state 

 of the soil might have affected them, I placed a 4th in a wide 

 mouthed bottle, corked down, in a dry place, inserted a quill 

 through the cork for the admission of air, and a 5th in a simi- 

 lar bottle, well corked, entirely excluding air, which died before 

 1 was aware of it, in 48 hours * ; proving very decidedly that 

 air is as essential to their existence as to any other class of living 

 animals. No. 4. continued in apparently good health for about 

 a fortnight : it then, however, began to shew signs of weakness, 



• It is scarcely necessary to add, that the air in the bottle was totally unfit- 

 ted for respiration or combustion ; a lighted taper plunged into it was imme- 

 diately extinguished. 



