254 



TLAX OF THE GAllDEN. 



Second Field. 

 Door. 



First Field. 



Outer Garden 



Acmsoa testudinalis in Forfarshire. — "We have received some very fine specimens of this 

 elegant shell from Andrew Kerr, Esq., of Montrose. This is the second locality on the cast 

 coast of Scotland announced in our pages. We have little doubt of its being found also in 

 other favourable localities on the east coast, but these arc wa believe the only two hitherto 

 known.— B. E. M. 



Curious InstiiiM of tJte Toad.— In a small bed of radishes, closely covered by a Herring-net 

 to keep oflf the S^^arrows, a large Toad was seated upon its form several days. Tlie Toad 



changed its position on the bed sometimes, and 

 had two or three forms, like a Hare. It was 

 frequently removed from under the net to dis- 

 tant parts of the garden, but invariably returned 

 to the radish bed ; and, though twice as large as 

 the meshes of the net, it was seen on one occa- 

 sion in the act of creeping tlirough one of the 

 meshes. Having heard a surpi-iahig account of 

 the difficulty of banishing a Toad from tlie place 

 of its choice, the observation of tliese facts seemed 

 confirmatory of it, and it was resolved by my- 

 self and my friends, in whose garden the remarks 

 were made, to put the matter to a severe trial. 

 The garden, wliich was large, was entirely walled 

 round, excepting a small gate leading into ano- 

 ther garden; this gai-den was also walled roimd, 

 but there was a shigle small hole under the 

 outer door into a field, Behind the inner gar- 

 den wall was a shrubberj^, and into this we 

 took the Toad the day before yesterday, little 

 expecting to see it again; but to our surprise 

 it was seated the next day beneath the net on 

 one of its forms. To reach that place it must have gone through the fence of the shrubbery 

 into a field, then through another fence into a second field, next through the hole under the 

 outer garden door, and lastly through the gate into the inner garden. This well-authenticated 

 fact so fully confirms a curious story related to me by an elderly relative many years ago, 

 that I would suggest this habit of the Toad as an interesting subject of further observation. — 

 William Whytehead, Risley, Suffolk, Jime 21st., 1852. 



Radish 

 Bed. 



Inner Garden. 



,;,^ Shrubbery. 



f\mm. 



Tlie Natural History of Portdiead; Comprising a Guide to the Locality, loiih 

 an Appendix, containing an Ornithological, Entomological, and Botanical 

 Catalogue for the Neighbourhood; with a Coloured Geological Map of the 

 District. By John N. Duck. Bristol: Evans and Abbot^ 1852. p. p. 65. 



We have before adverted to tte value of carefully-compiled local Floras 

 and Faunas, more particularly as relates to the development of Geographical 

 Natural History; and in the very unpretending little work before us we 

 have another of those small, but not on that account less valuable, rivulets 

 which assist in swelling the great river of Natural History. Mr. Duck enters 

 on his work, very properly, by giving a description of the locality and its 

 neighbourhood; and this portion of the book will be valuable, not only to 

 the naturalist, but also to the tourist, who may be in search of the picturesque. 



