464 TEN YEAES IN SWEDEN. 



the animals had neither mouths or eyes. The last found 

 example came into my possession; it was well fed and 

 lively, and had its stomach filled with fragments of harpulus 

 ruficornis, etc. It was clear that these animals, during 

 their nightly wanderings, had fallen into the deep pit, and 

 at daybreak had buried themselves in the loose sand at the 

 bottom,, where they were found by the workmen. It appears 

 to me very probable that many such wonderful histories 

 could be explained, if they were only investigated by any 

 one versed in natural history." 



I quite agree with the Professor, and without altogether 

 denying that the frog or the toad are able to exist for a 

 length of time in situations which would be speedy graves 

 to the higher organized animals, I must say, that if any 

 one who rushes into print with anecdotes of this or the like 

 kind, would only give himself the trouble to investigate a 

 few of the facts connected with the main incident which he 

 regards as so marvellous, and state them as well, the study 

 of natural history would be shorn of half its mysteries. 



Fam. 2. BUFONEME. Toads. 



No teeth in either of the jaws ; hind legs a very little 

 longer than the fore ones, so that they creep instead of 

 hopping. 



Gen. Suo Laur. 



Body above strewed with warty excrescences ; tympanum 

 visible ; the web on the hinder toes indented at the edges ; 

 tongue free on the hinder portion ; no teeth. 



14. BUFO VULGAEIS, Laur. Yanlig Padda. The Common 



Toad. 



Body thickly covered with warts; colour dark or 



greyish brown, with irregular black spots ; hinder 



toes half webbed. Is the largest of all the Swedish 



batrachice, frequently 3^ in. long and 2-j- in. broad. 



The common toad differs at a glance from the Bufo cola- 



mita, on account of its more than half webbed feet ; from B. 



varicibilis, on account of its more visible tympanum, and 



