150 MEPHITIC TOAD. 



deeply palmated. In its pace it differs from the 

 rest of the toad tribe ; running, nearly in the man- 

 ner of a mouse, with the body and legs somewhat 

 raised. It is chiefly a nocturnal animal; lying 

 hid by day in the cavities of walls, rocks, &c. &c. 

 The male and female perfectly resemble each 

 other. They breed in June, resorting, at that time, 

 to the waters, to deposit their ova, which are ex- 

 cluded in double rows in a pair of long strings of 

 gluten, in the same manner as the common Toad ; 

 and so speedy is the evolution of the ova, that the 

 tadpoles liberate themselves from the spawn in the 

 space of five or six days. This happens about the 

 middle of June; and about the end of August the 

 hind legs appear, which, in a certain space, are 

 succeeded by the fore legs; and by September 

 and October the animals appear in their complete 

 form. 



Roesel informs us, that this species is known in 

 some parts of Germany by the name of Roerhling, 

 or Reed-Frog, from its frequenting in spring time 

 such places as are overgrown with reeds, where it 

 utters a strong and singular note or croak. When 

 handled or teized, it diffuses an intolerable odour, 

 resembling that of the smoke of gunpowder, but 

 stronger : this proceeds from a whitish acrimoni- 

 ous fluid, which it occasionally exsudes from its 

 pores. The smell in some degree resembles that 

 of orpiment, or arsenic in a state of evaporation, 

 and sometimes the animal can ejaculate this fluid 

 to the distance of three or four feet, which, if it 

 happen to fall on any part of the room where the 



