66 REPTILES AND BATRACHIANS. 



On the tongue of this toad no signs could be detected of the 

 viscous, mucous secretion described by Bell and others. The 

 tongue appeared to be perfectly clean, like the frog's. It is 

 possible, however, that such secretion is stimulated by the sight 

 of food ; just as the mouth of a snake "waters," so to speak, with 

 that abundant secretion from its salivary glands which lubricates 

 and renders food more easily swallowed. So a modification of 

 the secretion may imbue the tongue of a toad. It seems not 

 impossible, too, that the slightly bifid tip of the tongue may 

 render it in a slight degree prehensile. The ejection of the 

 tongue is so rapid that you cannot detect any action. A flash, 

 a little "click," and the insect has vanished. One day I chanced 

 to secure a very large cockroach, too big, I thought, for Toadums, 

 but I turned it at liberty nevertheless near enough for him to see 

 it, and with a little stick directed its progress towards him, closely 

 watching results. Within a few inches he began to watch it with 

 bent head, but without otherwise moving. When fully two inches 

 distant suddenly the tongue was thrown out, the click was heard, 

 and coleoptera had disappeared. Then Mr. Toadums resumed 

 his meditations as if nothing had happened. The business-like 

 expression of the eyes is very curious on such occasions, as when 

 a tempting creature is being studied. It is as if the toad were 

 temporarily aroused from a reverie with summoned attention, that 

 he obeyed that summons, got through his business, and dismissed 

 it for the more important cogitations. Thus sedately he invariably 

 took what was placed near enough, and always at a distance of at 

 least two inches. His method of catching food for himself out of 

 doors demanded, one would suppose, some additional effort.. 



