106 THE NATURALIST. 



NOTES ON THE HABITS OF THE TOAD (Bufo vulgaris J. 



By John Akmitage. 



As a practical observer of tlie habits of the toad, having for a period 

 of thirteen years kept one in my greenhouse, I may perhaps venture upon 

 a few remarks, in addition to those from the pen of Mr. Hepworth, which 

 have appeared in the " NaturaHst." (Pages 24 & 73.) 



I first introduced the toad for the purpose of destroying the many 

 insects which infested my greenhouse. The result was far beyond my 

 most sanguine expectations, for, in a comparatively short space of time, 

 it was cleared of them. Thinking now, that the toad might require more 

 food, I began to collect insects of all sorts, — wasps, humble-bees, caterpillars, 

 worms, wood-lice, beetles, &c. ; these it tookapparently quite indiscriminately. 

 Ultimately I foundthat beetles, especially ^6a.TsfnoZ«, were its favourite food. 



I may here observe, that the way the toad takes its food is truly re- 

 markable. When the insect is on the move (and it only takes insects that 

 are alive and in motion) the toad sets, at a distance of from three to four 

 inches, and for an instant remains almost motionless — then there is a 

 snapping sound, and the insect has gone ! In a word — the insect disap- 

 pears so quickly, that the eye of an ordinary observer will not be able to 

 detect its mode of capture. The means by which the toad accomplishes 

 this, is by suddenly darting forth its tongue at almost lightning speed — 

 the insect is caught — the toad's mouth shuts with a clapping sound — the 

 eyes instantly close, and the insect is swallowed ! So certain is the toad 

 of its prey that in the thousands of instances that I have seen, I have 

 never known it fail once. On one occasion I remember the toad had 

 taken an insect but was evidently unable to swallow it ; after struggling for 

 some time, the toad put out its tongue which the insect had seized, and 

 was holding fast with its mouth. By means, however, of its forefoot the 

 toad managed to get it off. The insect was a large Abax striola, and was 

 quite uninjured for it soon crept away. 



Although I have said that when the toad takes its food the insects 

 must be alive, yet, it would appear that motion, and not life, necessarily 

 incites the instinct of the toad to capture. For, from curiosity, I have 

 attached a string to the antennae of a dead insect, and slowly pulled it 



