708 



A HISTORY OF 



wanting towards completing his information ; 

 such as a description of the passage by which 

 the egg finds its way into the back ; the man- 

 ner of its fecundation ; the time of gestation ; 

 as also a history of the manners of this strange 

 animal itself: but, by a prolixity that too 

 much prevails among naturalists at present, 

 he leaves the most interesting object of curi- 

 osity, to give us a detailed description of the 

 legs and claws of the pipal, about which we 

 have very little concern. 



The male pipal is every way larger than 

 the female, and hns the skin less tightly drawn 

 round the bodv. The whole body is covered 



with pustules resembling pearls ; and the bel- 

 ly, which is of a bright yellow, seems as if it 

 were sewed up from the throat to the vtnt, a 

 seam being seen to run in that direction. 

 This animal, like the rest of the frog kind, is 

 most probably harmless ; though we are told 

 of the terrible effects resulting from its powder 

 when calcined. This, however, must certain- 

 ly be false ; no creature whatever, when 

 calcined, can be poisonous ; for the fire 

 burns away whatever might have been dan- 

 gerous in their composition : all animal sub- 

 stances, when calcined, being entirely the 

 same. 



