the Natural History of the Toad. 87 



Its food is small worms, bees, wasps, spiders, caterpillars, 

 maggots, beetles, and in short insects of almost every de- 

 scription, except butterflies, and even these it will occasionally 

 take when their wings are shortened. Although capable of sus- 

 taining long abstinence, when opportunity offers, it is a vora- 

 cious feeder. To mention one instance may be sufficient. The 

 writer gave a middle-sized toad nine wasps *, one immediately 

 after another; the tenth it refused: this was in the forenoon; 

 in the afternoon of the same day he gave it eight more, the 

 ninth it followed with devouring eyes, but did not strike it. 



To see the toad display its full energy of character, it is 

 necessary to discover it in its place of retirement for the day, 

 and, if possible, unperceived, drop a caterpillar, small worm, 

 large fly, bee, &c. within its sight, and it immediately arouses 

 from its apparent torpor, its eyes sparkle, it moves with 

 alacrity to its prey, and the whole reptile assumes a decree of 

 animation quite contrary to its general sluggish appearance : 

 when arrived at a proper distance, it makes a full stop, and, in 

 the attitude of a pointer, motionless eyes its destined victim 

 for a few seconds, when it darts out its tongue upon it, and 

 lodges it in its throat, with a velocity the eye can scarcely fol- 

 low. It sometimes happens to make an ineffectual stroke, and 

 stuns the insect without gorging it, but never makes a second 

 till the object of its prey resumes motion. 



The writer has never succeeded in rendering any so com- 

 pletely domestic as that mentioned by J. Arscott, Esq. in his 

 letter to Pennant ; yet he has certainly familiarised several so 

 far as to have reason to believe himself and family were distin- 

 guished from strangers. One summer, happening accidentally 

 to remove an inverted garden pot which had a part of its 

 rim broken out, he found a toad had taken up its residence 

 under it; he quietly replaced the pot, and instantly com- 

 menced feeding it with every variety of insects he could pro- 

 cure, which, when dropped before the hole in the pot, it would 

 march out and immediately seize, and retire to its hole until a 

 fresh insect attracted its attention. Almost every evening it left 

 its station to ramble about the garden, but uniformly returned 

 early in the morning to its favourite situation under the pot. 

 This was continued several weeks; but happening to have a 

 party who were desirous to see it feed, it appeared unusually 

 sliv and restless; in the evening it quitted its place, and re- 

 turned no more that season. In the succeeding summer either 

 tin; same toad, or another so like it as not to be distinguished, 

 took up its residence under the same pot, which was diligently 



Wasps, bees, &c. must be deprived of a wing previously to their being 

 dropped befoce the toad. 



fed 



