338 THE VIVARIUM. 
accidentally touched your eyes. This constitutes the creature’s 
protection against enemies . . . This poisonous fluid 
retains its venomous property for many years if stored 
up and kept from air, longer even than snake poison; and 
it is remarkable that it seems to increase in virulence the 
longer it is kept. If an angry Giant Toad is plunged into water 
in which its own tadpoles are swimniing, the latter will most 
likely be all killed by the contact of this powerful excretion. I 
lost a valuable West Indian serpent in this way. Having no 
cage at hand for it, I put it inadvertently into a box which 
contained three of these Giant Toads. The movements of the 
Snake (which was a large one) irritated them so much during the 
night that in the morning I found the floor of their box all awash 
with their swelter and the poor crzbo lying on his back, absolutely 
blistered by it; and in spite of the most assiduous nursing he 
died a fortnight afterwards. This peispiration is acid in its 
reaction—it turns blue litmus paper red.” 
The Giant Toad will feed upon slugs, lob-worms, insects of 
almost any kind, mice, rats, and young birds. It should not be 
kept in a Vivarium with other Batrachians smaller than itself. 
Two or three of these large Toads will live very well together. 
Owing to their size the bottom of their case ought to be covered 
with garden mould to a considerable depth. 
The following is a short description of B. marinus: The crown 
of the head has prominent long ridges; the snout is short and 
blunt ; the eyes are wide apart; the tympanum is distinct and 
large; the first finger is longer than the second, and the toes are 
half-webbed ; there is a fold on the ankle. The upper parts of 
the body are covered with many irregular warts, which some- 
time bear spines. The parotoids are very large indeed. The 
colour above is brownish, sometimes marked with darker spots. 
The male has a subgular vocal sac. 
This large and interesting Toad is a native of South and 
Central America, and of the West Indies. 
