6\ REPTILES AND BATRACHIANS. 



with exudation, while one eye was completely hidden by a large 

 bladder, which, being covered with dust, had a most remarkable 

 appearance. Probably the child had thrown earth as well as 

 stones, and his coat being dusty the perspiration was almost mud ; 

 and the dust in his eyes, lifted by the abundant exudation, formed 

 this curious bladder nearly as big as his head. He was puffed to 

 the extremest size, and a more deplorable object can scarcely be 

 imagined. To touch him was impossible, so I replaced the stone 

 and there left him. The next day his trouble was over; he came 

 to the mouth of his cave reattired in a pretty light brown coat, 

 with dark chocolate spots ; very bright eyes ; happy once more. 

 If he ate the discarded garment, as toads are supposed to do, he 

 must have the digestion of an ostrich. I was never lucky enough 

 to witness the process of discarding the coat, but it has been 

 often described by eye-witnesses ; the splitting down the back 

 and the drawing out of arms and legs, etc. Toadums renewed 

 his very often, as was easily seen, because when out of doors and 

 foraging among dead leaves, which were more black than any 

 other colour, he soon got sooty and dingy, till, as if disgusted 

 with himself, he remained closely hidden for a few days, and then 

 reappeared beautifully bright and clean, white vest and all com- 

 plete. It was a curious fact that he invariably reattired when 

 brought in from the garden. As if conscious of the fitness of 

 things, and the incongruity of a grubby garment in the society of 

 clean little frogs, orange-vested newts, glass globes, plants, and 

 gay colours, he was sure to appear well dressed at his earliest 

 convenience. He knew the door very well after once being 

 permitted to go out that way, and when it was shut would go to 

 it, try to crawl up, and there wait. He displayed perseverance 

 and even persistency, at variance with " sluggishness " in sur- 

 mounting an obstacle, also in climbing; standing on the very 

 tips of his toes like a ballet dancer, and reaching up as far as he 

 could stretch his arms. If only one finger could be got upon a 

 ledge, or an edge, or wherever he wished to mount, he then drew 

 himself up without difficulty ; standing on the toes of one foot 

 while the other was raised to the level of the fingers, and by 

 degrees making sure of his hold. It was very grotesque, he on 

 one leg, with the three others stretched upwards. 



But on one occasion he performed a gymnastic feat well worth 

 recording. During some heavy rains, when the outer door had 

 not been opened, Toadums was missing. Afterwards he was 

 found in his cavern, but how he got out was a mystery. He was, 

 however, permitted to remain out of doors. One morning, a 

 week or two afterwards, there he was back again, cosily nested 



