THE FROG KIND. 



703 



couple as in all the frog kind ; their time of 

 propiigation bring v ry early in the spring. 

 So netimes the females are seen upon land 

 oppressed by the males ; but more frequently 

 they are coupled in the water. They continue 

 together some hour.*, and adhere so fast as to 

 te.ir the very skin from the parts they stick to. 

 In all this they entirely resemble the frog ; 

 but the assistance which the male lends the 

 female, in bringing forth, is a peculiarity in 

 this species that must not be passed over in 

 silence. " In the evening of a summer's day, 

 a French gentleman, being in the king's gar- 

 dens at Paris, perceived two toads coupled 

 together, and he stopped to examine them. 

 Two facts equally new surprised him ; the 

 first was the extreme difficulty the female 

 had in laying her eggs ; the second was the 

 assistance lent her by the male for this pur- 

 pose. The eggs of the female lie in her body, 

 like beads on a string ; and after the first, by 

 great effort, was excluded, the male caught it 

 with his hinder paws, and kept working it 

 till he had thus extracted the whole chain. 

 In this manner the animal performed, in some 

 measure, the functions of a midwife ; impreg- 

 nating, at the same time, every egg as it issu- 

 ed from the body." 



It is probable, however, that this difficulty 

 in bringing forth obtains only upon land ; and 

 that the toad, which produces its spawn in 

 the water, performs it with as much ease as a 

 frog. They propagate in England exactly in 

 the manner of frogs; and the female, instead 

 of retiring to dry holes, goes to the bottom of 

 ponds, and there lies torpid all the winter, 

 preparing to propagate in the beginning of 

 spring. On these occasions, the number of 

 mal-'s N found greatly to surpass that of the 

 other sex, there being above thirty to one ; 

 an-1 twelve <>r fourteen are often seen clinging 

 to the same female. 



When, like the frog, they have undergone 

 all the variations of their tadpole state, they 

 fors-ike the water ; and are often seen, in a 

 moist summer's evening, crawling up, by 

 myriads, from fenny places, into dryer situa- 

 tions. There, having found out a retreat, or 

 havi-'g dug themselves one with their mouth 

 and !>auds, they lead a patient solitary life, 

 seldom venturing out, except when the mois- 

 ture of a summer's evening invites them 

 abroad, At that time the grass is filled with 



snails, and the pathways covered with worms, 

 which make their principal food. Insects 

 also of every kind they are fond of; and we 

 have the authority of Linnaeus for it, that 

 they sometimes continue immoveable, with 

 the mouth open, at the bottom of shrubs, 

 where the butterflies, in some measure fesci- 

 nated, are seen to fly down their throats." 



In a letter from Mr. Arscott, there are some 

 curious particulars relating to this animal, 

 which throws great light upon its history. 

 " Concerning the toad," says he, " that lived 

 so many years with us, and was so great a 

 favourite, the greatest curiosity was its becom- 

 ing so remarkably tame ; it had frequent- 

 ed some steps before our hall-door some years 

 before my acquaintance commenced with it, 

 and had been admired by my father for its 

 size, (being the largest I ever met with,) who 

 constantly paid it a visit every evening. I 

 knew it myself above thirty years ; and by 

 constantly feeding it, brought it to be so tame, 

 that it always came to the candle, and looked 

 up, as if expecting to be taken up and brought 

 upon the table, where I always fed it with in- 

 sects of all sorts. It was fondest of flesh mag- 

 gots, which I kept in bran; It would follow 

 them, and when within a proper distance, 

 would fix his eyes, and remain motionless for 

 near a quarter of a minute, as if preparing for 

 the stroke, which was an instantaneous throw- 

 ing its tongue at a great distance upon the in- 

 sect, which stuck to the tip by a glutinous 

 matter. The motion is quicker than the eye 

 can follow. I cannot say how long my father 

 had been acquainted with the toad, before I 

 knew it ; but when I was first acquainted 

 with it, he used to mention it as the old toad 

 I have known so many years ; I can answer 

 for thirty-six years. This old toad made its 

 appearance as soon as the warm weather 

 earne ; and 1 always concluded it retired to 

 some dry bank, to repose till spring. When 

 we new layed the steps, I had two holes made 

 in the third step, on each, with a hollow of 

 more than a yard long for it ; in which I 

 imagine it slept, as it came from thence at its 

 first appearance. It was seldom provoked. 

 Neither that toad, nor the multitudes I have 

 seen tormented with great cruelty, ever 

 showed the least desire of revenge, by spitting 



Amsenit. vol. vi. p. 201, 



