NOTE-BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 391 



in the mouth, comes uppermost ; and, when returned into 

 the mouth, the surface which an instant previously was 

 uppermost, resumes its original position, and is lower- 

 most. A viscous secretion, which is very tenacious, com- 

 pletes this engine of destruction ; and when employed in 

 the capture of prey, it reaches to a considerable distance, 

 and returns with the insect into the mouth, where the 

 morsel is generally compressed, involved in a further 

 glutinous sort of saliva, and submitted to the action of 

 deglutition. The muscular machinery by which this 

 action, so important to the animal, is effected, is a beau- 

 tiful example of adaptation ; for the muscles which regu- 

 late the motion of the bones and cartilages of the mouth 

 act more especially upon the lower jaw, the bone of the 

 mandible and the tongue, which is by their power shot 

 forth and returned with the prey with such celerity, that, 

 as has been before observed, he must have a very acute 

 and prompt vision who can detect the action. Most 

 observers will see that when an insect comes within 

 tongue-shot of a toad when upon its feed, it disappears ; 

 but few will detect the action of the tongue itself, if the 

 reptile be healthy and lively. 



Mr. Arscott's old toad had none of that antipathy to 

 spiders which old legends would have us believe existed 

 between those reptiles and insects : he used to eat five or 

 six with his millipedes, which Mr. Arscott took to be his 

 favourite food, and which were provided for the pet, till 

 his master found out that flesh maggots, by their con- 

 tinual motion, formed the most tempting bait. When 

 offered blowing-flies and humble-bees, it would take 

 them, — and, in short, any insect that moved ; and Mr. 

 Arscott imagined that if a honey-bee had been put before 

 it, it would have eaten it, to its cost. Bees, however, are 

 seldom stirring at the same time as toads, which do not 

 often venture forth after sunrise or before sunset, though 

 they will occasionally come to the mouth of their hole in 



