Toads.] 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



127 



spots of black edged with whitish. The voice of 

 this IVos is a chirping or piping note, not unlike that 

 of a bird. 



2323.— The Bull-Frog 



{Ranamugiens). This species, which is common 

 in Xorlh America, attains to a very large size, mea- 

 suring upwards of six or seven inches in the length 

 of tlie head and body. It is essentially aquatic in 

 its habits, seldom wandering far Irom the water, 

 to which it immediately resorts for safety ; and 

 at the l3ottom of which it makes a hole or fissure, 

 its habitual hiding-place. It is said to live in 

 pairs. It is extremely voracious, preying upon 

 fishes, freshwater moUusks, various reptiles, and 

 even snakes; young water-fowl also fall a prey 

 to its rapacity, and broods of young ducks often en- 

 tirely disappear, to the surprise of their owner, who 

 little suspects the real depredator. The power of 

 this frog is very great, and it has been known to 

 clear without apparent effort a barrier of three feet_ 

 in elevation. During the spring and summer, its 

 loud croak may be heard resounding amidst the 

 swamps or the lakes, even to a very great distance. 

 Audubon says " it is particularly fond of such small 

 pure streams of water as are thickly shaded by 

 overhanging bushes; it sits for hours during the 

 middle of the day basking in the sun, near the 

 margin of the water, to which it betakes itself by a 

 great leap, on the least appearance of danger, div- 

 ing at once to the bottom, or swimming to the op- 

 posite side. In the southern states it is heard at all 

 seasons, but princip-illy daring the spring and sum- 

 mer months." He adds that the hind-legs are 

 white, tender, and excellent eating. Some speci- 

 mens weigh as much as half a pound. In the West 

 Indies and South America an allied species of huge 

 size, also called bull-frog, and by the French Cra- 

 paud (Rana ocellata, Lilin.), is reared for the use 

 of the table. It is the R. gigas and R. pachypus 

 of Spix; Cystignathus ocellatus, Wagler. 



2324.— The Painted Frog 



{Discoglossus pictus). The genus Discoglossus has 

 the tongue rounded, entire, and free at its posterior 

 edge. There is a row of palatal teeth ; the tympa- 

 num is concealed under the skin; there are a few 

 folds or glandular eminences about the sides of the 

 neck and shoulders. The toes are completely free ; 

 five in number, of which one is a mere tubercle ; 

 the webs of the hind-toes are short ; the males are 

 destitute of vocal sacs. 



The painted frog is one of the few species found 

 in Africa ; it exists in Egypt, and along the Medi- 

 terranean shores: and occurs also in Greece, Sicily, 

 and Sardinia. It frequents rivers, streams, and 

 lakes, and both freshwater and saline morasses, 

 like the green or esculent frog, in company with 

 which M. Bibron says that he has often seen it in 

 Sicily. It lives on insects, spiders, and both terres- 

 trial and aquatic mollusks. It is said to abound in 

 the Nile ; we may, however, observe, that the green 

 frog of continental Europe also exists in Egypt and 

 Algeria, as well as throughout the greater part of 

 Asia to Japan. 



The painted frog is subject to considerable va- 

 riation of colouring ; it is generally marbled above 

 with grey or brown, on an olive or yellowish green 

 ground, with a white line down the middle of the 

 back, and sometimes also along each side. 



2325. — Boie's Ceratophris 

 (Ceratophris Boiei, Wied.). Ceratophris granosa, 

 Cuv. 



The singular frogs of this genus, all American, 

 have a large head and a granular or tuberculous 

 skin ; the tongue is heart-shaped ; the edge of the 

 upper eyelid is prolonged into a point, giving 

 a horned appearance to the top ofthe head, which 

 is covered with ridges and asperities more or less 

 decided. The mouth is very wide ; the limbs ra- 

 ther short ; the toes four ; the webs very little de- 

 veloped. The surface of the body is covered with 

 tubercles, and one species (C. dorsata) is defended 

 by a sort of dorsal buckler formed by the union 

 of numerous osseous laminae in the substance of the 

 skin. 



It would seem that the males have the vocal 

 pouch, at least such has been detected in the C. 

 Boiei. In this species the palpebral prolongations 

 are very remarkable, and pointed, and the whole of 

 the surface of the body is covered with granular 

 tubercles. Two ridges run down the back from the 

 palpebral horns, festooned on each side by brown, 

 the general ground-colour being yellowish. There 

 is a triangular mark of black on the top of the 

 head. Under parts yellowish spotted vath black. 

 It is a native of Cayenne. 



We may now pass to the tree-frogs (Les 

 PhancroglohsesHylstformes of M. Dumcril). These 

 active little creatures are essentially arboreal in 

 their habits; bird-like they pass their time amidst 

 the foliage of the trees, perching upon the leaves 



and twigs, and spring from one to another with 

 wonderful quickness and celerity. There they 

 pursue their insect prey, or lurk for it, and 

 seize it as it passes. If we look at the toes, we find 

 them each provided with large expanded suckers 

 or discs, by means of which they adhere even to 

 the sinooth'est leaf, or lurk with the back down- 

 wards on its under surface, as the Geckos, and so 

 proceed from one to another with singular address. 



Exposed to numerous enemies, they are capable 

 of assuming dift'erent tints, by way of masking their 

 presence, with almost instantaneous celerity ; or of 

 adapting them so as to blend with surrounding ob- 

 jects. They have also another singularity ; the skin 

 of the under-suiface, instead of being smooth, is 

 covered with granular glands, pierced by a multi- 

 tude of pores, by means of which the dew or rain 

 spread on the surface of the leaves is rapidly ab- 

 sorbed for the supply of the system. This group is 

 divided into several genera. By far the greater 

 number of species are American. One only is 

 found in Europe and Afiica. 



2326.— Thk Green Trke-Frog 

 {Hyla viridis). Rana arborea, Linn. 



This beautiful little creature is found over the 

 whole of middle and Southern Europe and Northern 

 Africa ; it occurs also in Japan. It has never been 

 observed in our island, though it is not uncommon 

 in France. 



It is amidst the foliage of woods that this 

 species dwells during the months of summer, where 

 it displays the habit of a cat,. in watching for and 

 darting upon its prey : it lurks amongst the leaves, or 

 under their canopy, and with open mouth launches 

 itself upon the unwary insect, which it touches with 

 its tongue and instantly swallows. Some have com- 

 pared its manners to those of a flycatcher, from its 

 restless activity and unceasing repetition of short 

 darts which it makes from leaf to leaf as it watches 

 the movements of the insects flitting about it. 

 Towards the end of April the tree-frog quits its 

 leafy abode for the water, in order to deposit its 

 eggs, and it also hybernates like the common frog 

 in the mud at the bottom of swamps and marshes. 

 The young remain in their tadpole state for about 

 two months, when their final change takes place, 

 and tliey make their way to the adjacent thickets, 

 where vast swarms are sometimes seen all in cease- 

 less motion, like flocks of minute birds. This 

 species does not acquire its full size till the fourth 

 year. The gular vocal sac of the male is capable 

 of enormous distention ; and the loud croak of num- 

 bers assembled together, uttering their voices in 

 chorus, may be heard to a considerable distance. 



The general colour of this frog is a fine green 

 above, white beneath ; a yellow stripe bordered 

 with pale violet extends along the sides of the head 

 and body, and down the hind-legs to the feet; 

 and a similar stripe branches off and runs down the 

 fore-limbs to the feet. Alter the spring the animal 

 changes to brown, which soon gives place to grey, 

 mottled with reddish, and this passes into blue ; the 

 green reappears with the return of spring. 



2327. — The Bicoloured Tbee-Frog 

 (Phjllomedusa bicolor). Rana bicolor, Gmel. 



The most remarkable distinguishing character in 

 this genus is the opposability of the first finger of 

 the fore-paws to the three others, and of the first 

 two toes of the hind-paws to the three others ; and 

 by this arrangement, the hold, secured on leaves or 

 twigs, is rendered extremely secure. The back 

 part of the head is extremely broad, from the de- 

 velopment of large parotid glands which begin 

 behind each eye, and extend to the axilla, covering 

 the scapulary region, and continued in a narrow 

 line along each side. 



The Bicoloured Tree-frog is a native of Cayenne 

 and Brazil ; its general colour above is a beautiful 

 blue ; the sides are marked with white spots, encircled 

 by chestnut ; a white line, bordered by brown, runs 

 along the outer edge of the fore-arm and of the leg 

 and foot. Under parts white, sometimes variegated 

 with brown or chestnut. 



The Toads next present themselves to our notice 

 (les Phaneroglosses bufoniformes of M. Duraeril). 

 The toads in general have an inflated body, a warty 

 or tubercular skin, and a tumour behind each eye, 

 produced by a large parotid gland. The males 

 have for the most part a gular vocal sac. In some 

 genera the toes are furnished with sucking-discs 

 (viz. Dendrobates, and Hylsedactylus), which re- 

 semble the true tree-frogs in tlieir habits. 



The upper jaw is altogether destitute of teeth. 

 In the more typical forms the hind-limbs do not much 

 exceed the fore-limbs in length, and their locomo- 

 tion is a sort of crawl, or succession of short hops. 



Most are nocturnal in their habits, and come 

 abroad with the dusk in quest of prey. 



2328.— The Common Toad 



{Bufo vvlffmis). This species is too well known to 



need a detailed description. Though not very at- 



•.•i 



tractive in its appearance, the toad is far from me- 

 riting the opprobrium which has been lavished upon 

 it. To the gardener it is a useful assistant, as it 

 devours slugs, earwigs, caterpillars, and beetles. It 

 has been celebrated for two things, namely, the 

 brightness of its eyes, and its poison. Its eyes are 

 certainly brilliant, and, notwithstanding the poet's 

 assertion, the only jewel it wears in its head. With 

 regard to its being poisonous, we may obseive that 

 the glandular tubercles of its skin pour out an acrid 

 secretion ; and this is intended evidently as a defence, 

 for we have often seen a dog seize one of these ani- 

 mals and instantly drop it, shaking his head in evi- 

 dent distress, while frothy saliva filled his mouth, 

 and continued to flow for a considerable time. The 

 parotid glands open externally by numerous pores, 

 and give out a milky fetid humour. The common 

 belief that the toad •■ spits venom " is absurd. 



The toad is easily rendered familiar. Mr. Bell 

 records a notice of one which would sit on one of his 

 hands, and eat from the other; and the story of 

 Mr. Arscotfs toad in Devonshire which lived for 

 thirty-six years domesticated, and was killed by ac- 

 cident, has been often quoted from Pennant. 



It is to Mr. Bell that we owe the first autlientic 

 account of the manner in which the toad disengages 

 itself from its slough; the cuticle slits down the 

 middle of the back and belly, thereby allowing the 

 legs to be withdrawn in rotation ; it is then rolled 

 into a ball, pushed by the two paws into the mouth, 

 and swallowed at a single gulp. 



Like the frog, the toad deposits its eggs in the 

 water, but rather later in the spring. In August 

 the tadpoles have completed their translbrraation, 

 and creeping ashore disperse themselves over the 

 land. Large troops of these young toads may often 

 be met with. 



Most persons have heard of the marvellous ac- 

 counts of living toads found imbedded in the hearts 

 of trees, or in solid blocks of stone ; and it must be 

 confessed that many of the instances are supported 

 by no mean authority ; Smellie (in his ' Philosophy 

 of Natural History ), Guettard (in ' Memoire sur 

 diffSrentes Parties des Sciences et desArts' 1771), Ed- 

 wards, and Mr. Thomas (in ' Silliman's Journal ') 

 respectively notice examples of the occurrence in 

 question. Be it however observed, that the stone 

 or wood was never rigidly examined, nor is anything 

 ever stated to disprove the possibility of a small 

 aperture, communicating with the external surface, 

 through which air, moisture, and insects may have 

 entered ; indeed, as Dr. Buckland says, " The at- 

 tention of the discoverer is always directed more to 

 the toad than to the minutiis of the state of the 

 cavity in which it was contained," 



M. Herissant in 1777, Dr. Edwards in 1817, and 

 Dr. Buckland in 1825-6, have proved by a series of 

 experiments, that when deprived of air these ani- 

 mals speedily perish ; but that they will survive for 

 many months without food. Dr. Buckland's conclu- 

 sions are that toads cannot live a year excluded 

 totally from atmospheric air, and, from experiments 

 made by enclosing these animals in cells cut out in 

 oolite, that they cannot in all probability survive 

 two years entirely excluded from food. ' Zool 

 Journal,' vol. v. 



It would seem then that accident must have in- 

 troduced the toads in question into the prisons in 

 which they have occasionally been found; that 

 there they received food and air, and grew till too 

 large to make their exit by the aperture which 

 once admitted them ; and which itself became much 

 narroived or partially blocked up ; but still allow- 

 ing sufficient air and moisture (most probably also 

 minute insects) for the support of the system in a 

 sort of torpid condition. Here then they would live 

 till the blow of the hammer or axe set them at 

 liberty, destroying at the same time all trace of the 

 orifice or fissure which admitted them, and through 

 which they received their scanty nutriment. 



To suppose that toads imbedded in stone are 

 thousands of years old, the living relics of a world 

 gone by and coeval with. the rock around them, is 

 palpably absurd. 



2329. — The Natter-jack 

 (Bnfo Calamita). Bufo viridis, Laurenti ; Bufocru- 

 ciatus, Schneid. ; Bufo variabilis, Marr. 



This species is spread through the greater part 

 of Europe and Western Asia, as well as Northern 

 Africa. In England it is tolerably common in cer- 

 tain localities ; it has been found on Blackheath, 

 Putney Common, in various parts of Lincolnshire, 

 Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk. Mr. Bell quotes Sir W. 

 Jardine's account ofthe occurrence of this reptile in 

 a marsh on the coast of the Solway Frith, in brackish 

 water, and within a hundred yards of spring-tide 

 high-water mark. They are, it is added, very abun- 

 dant for six or seven miles along the coast. Dry 

 spots, however, are its favourite haunts, excepting 

 at the breeding season, when it visits the water, it 

 is less crawling and slow in its movements than the 

 common toad ; and will even run with alertness for 



