THE TOAD. 125 



above, and light-yellowish underneath, sometimes 

 spotted with black ; the warts on the back are dark in 

 colour. Toads are said to be very long-lived, and to 

 be able to do without food for many years shut up in 

 the middle of a stone, from which even the air is 

 excluded. That toads and other reptiles are ex- 

 tremely tenacious of life, and can exist under circum- 

 stances which would be fatal to animals of a higher 

 class, may be readily admitted ; but the difficulty of 

 proving to absolute certainty the length of time and 

 all the conditions under which a toad has existed for 

 years is so great, that it is extremely difficult to decide 

 positively on the truth of many anecdotes which are 

 related. 



The Natter Jack Toad (Bufo calamita) is another 

 British species, which is local, and getting scarce. It is 

 able to endure greater drought than the common species, 

 and is more active and less sluggish in its motions. 

 It is often found on heaths and dry places, proving that 

 it can live a considerable time without water. It much 

 resembles the common toad, except that it has a line 

 of yellowish colour down the back ; its colour other- 

 wise is light brown, with patches of a darker hue. 

 The late Dr. Buckland made many experiments on 

 toads. In order to prove how long they could live 

 without air he enclosed several in sandstone. He 

 found that full-grown toads lived in this situation for 

 nearly two years, but that the younger ones died much 

 sooner. They were placed with a glass aperture in 

 the stone, so that they might be from time to time 

 examined without the admission of air. He also 

 enclosed four toads in the trunk of an apple-tree in 



