38 



These were examined several times during the second year 

 through the glass covers of the cells, but without removing them 

 to admit air. They appeared always awake with their eyes open, 

 and never in a state of torpor, their meagreness increasing at each 

 interval in which they were examined, until at length they were 

 found dead. 



Those two also which had gained an accession of weight at 

 the end of the first year, and were then carefully closed up again 

 were emaciated and dead before the end of the second year. 



At the same time that these toads were enclosed in stone, 

 four (ither toads of middling size were enclosed in three holes cut 

 on the North side of the trunk of an apple-tree, two being placed 

 in the largest cell, and each of the others in a single cell. The 

 cells were nearly circular, about five inches deep, and three inches 

 in diameter. They were carefully closed up with a plug of wood, 

 so as to exclude access of insects, and, apparently, were air-tight. 

 ^Vhen examined at the end of a year, every one of the toads was 

 dead, and their bodies decayed. 



And besides the toads enclosed in stone and in wood, four 

 others were placed each in a small basin of Plaster of Paris, four 

 inches deep and five inches in diameter, having a cover of the 

 same material carefully 'luted' round with clay. These were 

 buried at the same time, and at the same place, with the blocks of 

 stone, and on being examined at the same time with them in 

 December, 1826, two of the toads were dead, the other two alive." 



Dr. Townson recorded a series of observations which he 

 made on tame frogs, and also on some toads ; these were directed 

 chiefly to the very absorbent power of the skin of these animals, 

 and show that they take in and reject liquids, through their skin 

 alone, by a rapid process of absorption and evaporation, a frog 

 absorbing sometimes in half an hour as much as half its own 

 weight, and in a few hours the whole of its own weight of water, 

 and nearly as rapidly giving it off when placed in any position 

 that is warm and removed from moisture. Dr. Townson contended 

 that as the frog tribe never drink water, this fluid must be 

 supplied by means of absorption through the skin. Both frogs 

 and toads have a large bladder, which is often full of water : 

 •' Whatever this fluid may be," he says, "it is as pure as distilled 

 water and equally tasteless ; this I assert, as well of that of the 

 toad which I have often tasted, as that of frogs." Dr. Townson 

 found both frogs and toads perfectly harmless and innoxious. 



When specimens of entombed toads and frogs have been 

 discovered from time to time by unscientific people, the finders 

 usually preserve only either the toad or the stone in which it is 

 reported to have been found. 



I am not aware that any complete specimen in situ has ever 

 before been brought to scientific observation. 



To summarise the whole question of these reported discoveries 



