APPENDIX. 385 



" having for amufement put a long pole into my 

 " pond, and twilled it till it had gathered a large 

 " volume of weed, on taking it off 1 found many 

 " toads, and having cut fome afunder with my 

 " knife, by accident, to get off the weed, found 

 " them full of fpawn not thoroughly formed. I 

 " am not pofitive, but think there were a few 

 " males in March: I know there are thirty males* 

 " to one female, twelve or fourteen of whom I have 

 " feen clinging round a female : I have often dif- 

 " engaged her, and put her to a folitary male, to 

 " fee with what eagernefs he would feize her. 

 " They impregnate the fpawn as it is drawn 7 out in 



" long 



* Mr. John Hunter has affured me, that during his resi- 

 dence at Belkijle, he differed fome hundreds of toads, yet 

 never met with a^fmgle female among them. 



f I was incredulous as to the objletrical offices of the male 

 toad, but fince the end is fo well accounted for, and the fact 

 eftablifhei by fuch good authority, belief mull take place. 



Mr. Demours, in the Memoirs of the French Academy, as 

 traiiflated by Dr. Templeman, <voL I. 371. has been very par- 

 ticular in refpect to the male toad, as acting the part of an 

 Accoucheur ; his account is curious, and clames a place here : 



" In the evening of one of the long days in fummer, Mr. 

 *' Demours being in the King's garden perceived two toads 

 " coupled together -'at the edge of an hole, which was formed 

 4t in part by a great Hone at the top. 



" Curiofity drew him td fee what was the occafion of the 

 * ' motions he obferved, when two facts equally new furprized 

 ** him ; the firji was the extreme difficulty the female had in 

 M laying her eggs, infomuch that flie did not feem capable 



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