THE NATTERJACK. 139 



and several fish, such as the bearded loach (Gobitus 

 barbatula), and the stickleback (G aster osteus acu- 

 leatus). Finally, he concludes that not one in a 

 thousand of the young frogs which emerge from the 

 egg in spring ever reach their winter quarters. 



Were it not for the unbounded fertility of the 

 frog and toad, they would be totally exterminated 

 in one year by the unceasing attacks of their nume- 

 rous terrestrial and aquatic foes. Should this 

 fertility be checked by any cause whatever, these 

 creatures, like their giant prototypes of the Meso- 

 zoic and Cainozoic ages, would soon be known only 

 by their remains. 



Its general appearance is similar to that of the 

 last species, but the eyes are more projecting, with 

 the eyelids very much elevated above the crown ; 

 porous protuberance behind the eyes not so large ; 

 toes on the fore feet more nearly equal ; the third 

 notwithstanding a little longer than the others ; 

 first and second not shorter than the fourth ; hind 

 legs not so long as the body; the toes on these feet 

 much less palmated than in the common toad ; the 

 sixth toe scarcely at all developed ; skin similarly 

 covered with warts and pimples. Above of a yellow- 

 ish-brown or olivaceous, clouded here and there with 

 darker shades ; a line of bright yellow along the 

 middle of the back ; warts and pimples, especially 

 the porous protuberance behind the eyes reddish ; 



