COMMON TOAD. 201 



severity of the winter fairly broken (it will be seen 

 afterwards I speak in reference to former years) than 

 they appear in countless numbers at the bottoms of 

 all our ditches, ponds, and other stagnant waters, 

 where previously there was not one to be seen. 

 This congregating of individuals, which, as is well 

 known, is for the purpose of breeding, may be ob- 

 served from the middle or end of February (accord- 

 ing to the weather), on to April or May. There is a 

 large piece of water alt Bottisham Hall which for- 

 merly always abounded with toads at this season. 

 Yet though I have often narrowly watched the spot 

 for some days previous to their appearance in the 

 water, I could never detect them in their passage 

 towards it ; or, in the idea of their passing the whole 

 winter there, could I observe them going to it at any 

 period of the autumn. What is also noticeable, (for 

 whether they pass the winter in the water or not, they 

 do not pass the entire summer there,) I never could 

 observe any of the old toads coming ashore when 



army of some species of toad (thought by him to be distinct and 

 not yet described) in the month of March, and again in autumn, 

 migrating to and fro, from their hibernal quarters, to their breed- 

 ing localities. This movement, which was over a distance of two 

 miles, was noticed annually for several years in succession ; and 

 their winter retreat was discovered to be an old sand-pit, where 

 he found them in the act of burying themselves. The reader is 

 referred to the above journal for a detail of other circumstances 

 connected with this discovery, which is of extreme interest in the 

 history of this reptile. Nevertheless such a migration as this can 

 hardly take place in respect of all toads in other localities, or 

 surely it would have fallen under the notice of other observers 

 before now. 



K 5 



