BuFo. REPTILES. BATRACHIA. 159 



ponds. The tadpoles are gregarious until they acquire the adult forms, wlien 

 they quit the water, only returning to it occasionally. 



10. R. esculenta. Edible Frog. — Middle of the back with a 

 protuberance; sides, margined. 



LirM. Syst. i. 257. Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. 13 JF, Llyffant melyn cefn 



grwm. — Not so common as the preceding. 

 Muzzle pointed. Body narrow behind, arched as if broken across. Above, 

 green, with three longitudinal yellow lines ; the middle one sunk ; the lateral 

 ones elevated. Below wliitish, with black spots. Fore-feet with four divided 

 toes ; the hind feet with five, united by webs. 



Gen. VII. BUFO. Toad. — Jaws destitute of teeth. Body 

 warty. Tongue short and thick. 



11. B. vulga7'is. Common Toad. — Body swollen. Head 

 large, above dusky-black. Fore-feet with four divided toes ; hind 

 feet with six, united by webs. 



Bufo, Sibb. Scot. 13. Ray, Syn. Quad. 252. Rana Bufo, Linn. Syst. i. 



354. Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. 14 — T, Taed ; JV, Llyffant die, Llyffant 



dafadenog. 



This well known animal, though a devourer of worms, slugs, and wasps, and 



therefore useful in gardens, though inoffensive in its manners, and destitute 



of any venomous quality, is despised, hated, and persecuted by the ignorant. 



Few individuals, even of education, will venture to take a toad in their hand, 



or act otherwise than loath it. How surprising that prejudices so unjustifiable 



should still continue to prevail! 



12. B. Ruheta. Natter- Jack. — Above yellow, clouded with 

 brown, with a mesial yellow line. 



Rana Rubeta, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 355. Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. 19. Lmc- 

 pede, Ov. Quad. ii. 253. 

 This species, which differs from the preceding in having only five toes on 

 the hind feet, is covered with porous pimples. The hind part is blunt, and 

 scattered underneath with small points. Its motion is more liker running 

 than either leaping or crawling. Mr Pennant says that it frequents dry and 

 sandy places ; is found on Putney Common, and also near Revesby Abbey, 

 Lincolnshire, where it is called the Natter-Jack. Its history, like that of 

 many of our native reptiles, is involved in obscurity. 



