REPTILES. 463 



order to hear nature's harmony in a concert of frogs." 

 In the autumn they are often seen on land, and their motions 

 are as lively as those of the common frog. 



Gen. Pelobates, Wagl. 



Tympanum hidden ; tongue only grown fast on the front 

 half; body covered with warts above, below smooth; hind 

 toes wholly webbed; under the root of the innermost toe a 

 large compressed grisly knob. 



13. PELOBATES FUSCUS, Wagl. Lok Grroda. 



Irregularly spotted with brown and grey ; a streak 

 of the latter colour down the back ; usual length 2 in. 

 4 1. j hind leg 3 in. , fore leg 1 in. 4 1. 



Might easily be confounded with Bufo variabilis, for 

 both are of the same colour, but in P.fuscus the pale 

 grey colour forms irregular longitudinal bands in the green- 

 brown colour, and one of these bands stretches over the 

 anus and hinder part of the back. The front part of the 

 back is covered with irregular large spots, the hinder part 

 with small. Female always larger than the male. 



Is confined to the south of Sweden, but probably more 

 widely spread there than has hitherto been supposed. 



This frog differs from all the others in emitting a 

 strong smell of white onions, especially when irritated, 

 whence its Swedish name of 16k, or onion frog. 



The following anecdote, by Professor Wahlgren, might 

 be read with advantage by those marvel-mongers who are so 

 fond of retailing anecdotes of live toads being found im- 

 bedded in stone, etc. : ' ' As a proof how easily those who 

 are but little acquainted with zoology may regard as a 

 miracle that which proceeds from very natural causes, I will 

 just name that, in digging for the gas works in Helsingborg, 

 in July, last year, at a depth of sixteen to eighteen feet, 

 first a common toad was found, and the next day two bufo 

 calamita and one pelobates fuscus, all living. All fancied 

 that these animals had lain there buried time out of mind. 

 The lucky finder described the circumstance in the news- 

 papers as something like a miracle, with the addition that 



