100 REPTILES OF DOUSET. 



progress of the case, he told me that these toads liad arrived very 

 lively and certainly not injured in the least ; that he had fruit- 

 lessly tried several methods of despatching them, and as a last 

 resort had consulted our mutual friend, the late Mr. "Wm. 

 Thompson, who advised him to take them to a chemist, and try a 

 dose of prussic acid, Mr. Thompson himself accompanying him. 

 Half a teaspoonful of prussic acid (Scheele's strength) was 

 administered to each toad, but apparently without the slightest 

 effect. While Mr. Rolls, Mr. Thompson, and the chemist were 

 debating upon the next step, a gentleman called in at the shop, and 

 becoming aware of the dilemma, informed them of the only 

 effectual and rapid Avay of killing these animals — a way of which 

 I certainly was myself up to that time ignorant — that is by opening 

 the mouth and, with a pair of sharp-pointed scissors, dividing the 

 spinal cord at the back of the throat. This method is instantaneous 

 and is to be commended to those who may be obliged at any time 

 to put an end to creatures of this kind. The ISTatter-Jack is 

 smaller than the common toad. It most probably exists in other 

 parts of the county besides Bloxworth Heath, though I have not 

 myself met with it anywhere else, nor have I received any certain 

 account of its occurrence in other localities. Mr. C. W. Dale, 

 however, tells me he thinks it has so occurred, though he cannot 

 find any reference to it. 



FAM. SALAMANDEIDiE (Neicts and Efts). 



TRITON CRISTATUS, Laur. 



Crested or Warty Neict. Bell's British Reptiles, p. 129. 



This is the largest and handsomest of our N'ewts, growing to the 

 length of 6 inches. Its size, dark-blackish hue and bright yellow 

 markings, with (in the spring season) the deep flexible indented 

 dorsal crest of the male, will suffice to distinguish this species 

 readily. It is not rare in ponds and ditches at Bloxworth and in 

 other parts of the county. Like the frog group, the newts pass 

 through various stages of the tadpole form before coming to 

 maturity. I once kept some of this species in a tank in my room, 



