THE NATTERJACK. 135 



commonly together, and, like others of the genus, 

 they appear in the evenings ; ' : but Mr. Tate has 

 given a fuller account of the nocturnal habits of 

 this species than we have seen recorded else- 

 where : — 



After dark, or at least after the risiog of the moon, I was 

 returning home across Wisley Heath, and when near a pond 

 something ran quickly across the path. I took it up, and saw 

 by its bright vertebral stripe, showing clearly in the moonlight, 

 that it was a natterjack. I therefore commenced looking round 

 the pond, and caught no less than fifty-seven of them. The 

 noise they were making was very great ; their croak being 

 hoarse, and one continued note, instead cf, as in the common 

 toad and frog, a succession of short notes. The natterjack 

 showed more sense than the toads, by leaving off croaking, and 

 squatting close to the ground to escape observation whenever I 

 approached one of their haunts, while the toads kept croaking 

 and hopping. I found them always in shallow water (in which 

 they can sit with their heads out), and, as their name implies, 

 among reeds very often. I see now why their eyes are so much 

 brighter by night than by day, as they are evidently noc- 

 turnal in their habits ; but until 1 his time I have always 

 caught them on hot sunny days going about the heath in 

 pairs.* 



The " mephitic toad ' of Shaw's " Zoology '' 

 appears to be the present species 2 for his descrip- 

 tion is that of an " olive toad, spotted with brown, 

 with reddish warts, and sulphur-coloured dorsal 

 line." Such being the case, we must take exception 

 to some portion of his remarks : — 



* W. R. Tate, in Science Gossip, vol. i., p. 111. 



