LETTER VII. 157 



almofl clofe together, at the furfiice of the ground, 

 and that foon, by the wafliing in of Sand or 

 Gravel, grew till they met and made but one An- 

 gle Stone, leaving the Toad a fcanty cavity to in- 

 habit. I am not inclinable to give in to the for- 

 mer method of Solution, becaufe I cannot believe 

 that Stones do ordinarily grow fail enough, to 

 anfwer the End propofed. And if I allow the 

 latter to be true, I forefee a fturdy Objedion, 

 that may be raifed againft my opinion, viz. How 

 did it fubfift with life there, in want of Food, 

 Drink, and open Air ? Now the befl anfwer, at 

 prefent, occurring to me is ^ That dropping in 

 between the two Stones, fo wondrous fmall and 

 young, or perchance in Spawn, even before it had 

 life, a very little frefh Air might, and doubtlefs 

 did at firft, fuffice for it j and as that Air became 

 lefs and lefs, by flow degrees, fo it likewife be- 

 came by fuch degrees habitual to the nature of 

 the Creature, to breath well enough in fuch a 

 pent-up place. And I may moreover rationally 

 fuppofe, that it could there, very well preferve 

 life, by fucking of the moill Stone itfelf, which 

 alfo became full as ufefal Food as Grafs, Fruits, 

 (^c, are to Toads, in our common open Air. A^. B. 

 That thefe Creatures bury themfelves pretty deep 

 in the Earth, all Winter long. 



8. At my return into the South-Marifn of 

 Lincolnjlnre, the Place of my refidence then, I 



talked 



