COMMON TOAD. 143 



advantage, he swallowed down, and that in a few 

 hours, to the number of seven. And in like man- 

 ner will Toads also serve bees, and are accounted 

 enemies unto their hives/' 



From the experiments of Laurenti, it appears 

 that small lizards, on biting the common Toad, 

 were for some time disordered and paralytic, and 

 even appeared to be dead, but in some hours 

 were completely recovered. 



It is also observed, that dogs, on seizing a toad, 

 and carrying it for some little time in their mouth, 

 will appear to be affected with a very slight swell- 

 ing of the lips, accompanied by an increased eva- 

 cuation of saliva ; the mere effect of the slightly 

 acrimonious fluid which the toad on irritation 

 exsudes from its skin, and which seems, in this 

 country at least, to produce no dangerous symp- 

 toms in such animals as happen to taste or swal- 

 low it. The limpid fluid also, which this animal 

 suddenly discharges when disturbed, is a mere 

 watry liquor, perfectly free from any acrimonious 

 or noxious qualities, and appearing to be no other 

 than the contents of a peculiar reservoir, common 

 to this tribe, destined for some purpose in the eco- 

 nomy of the animals which does not yet appear 

 to be clearly understood. The common Toad may 

 therefore be pronounced innoxious, or perfectly 

 free from any poisonous properties, at least with 

 respect to any of the larger animals; and the innu- 

 merable tales recited by the older writers, of its 

 supposed venom, appear to be either gross exag- 

 gerations, or else to have related to the effects of 



