132 THE BRITISH AMPHIBIANS. 



spit fire or venom, and it has no jewel in its head, unless the jewel 

 be its eye. 



The Common Toad may attain five inches in length. Its body is 

 thick and tumid, the head large, with the crown flat, the muzzle 

 short and rounded, the gape wide, the tongue not notched. There 

 is a slight protuberance over each eye, and a larger one behind it. 

 The iris is red, mottled with black. The hind legs are as long as, or 

 rather longer than, the body. The third finger is the longest, the 

 first being equal in length to the second and longer than the fourth. 

 The male is smaller than the female, and can be identified by the 

 brushes on the fingers. In colour this species is brown of all shades 

 on the upper parts and whitish, occasionally tinged with pink, below. 

 It ranges into Northern Africa and across Asia to Japan, but, unlike 

 the natterjack, does not seem to have settled in Ireland. 



The Natterjack seldom exceeds three inches in length. In general 

 appearance it resembles the foregoing, but is a trifle less clumsily 

 built. The eyes are more projecting, the eyelids more elevated, and 

 the protuberance on the side of the head is smaller. The iris is 

 greenish yellow and speckled. The hind legs are not so long as the 

 body. The third finger is the longest, the first being equal in length 

 to the second and shorter than the fourth. The male is of the same 

 size as the female, and can be identified by the brushes on the 

 fingers. The upper parts are greenish yellow with green spots, and 

 a narrow yellow stripe is generally, but not always, present down 

 the middle of the head and back. The whitish underparts are fre- 

 quently speckled with black. This species is of somewhat active 

 habits, and on occasion can break into the unmistakable run which 

 in some districts has gained it the name of " the running toad." It 

 is principally met with in Western Europe, from the south of Scot- 

 land to the Straits of Gibraltar, and has been recorded from Roscrea 

 in Ireland. 



Kana. Plate xxx. EC A UDA TA . 



82. temporaria, COMMON FROG. Temples black ; hinder part of thighs 



unspotted. 



83. esculenta, EDIBLE FROG. Temples grey ; hinder part of thighs 



spotted. 



The Frogs have teeth in the upper jaw as well as on the palate, 

 the tongue is notched and free behind, the fingers are free and the 

 toes webbed, and the fourth and fifth metatarsals diverge and are 

 webbed together. The hind legs are more than half as long again 

 as the body. 



Frogs appear in several transition forms in their progress to 

 maturity. The eggs are laid within small spheres of jelly which 

 sink to the bottom of the water, and there begin to swell until they 

 are buoyant enough to rise to the surface in a mass four or 

 more inches across. The gelatinous wrapper preserves the eggs and 

 embryos from injury, and often encloses algae, which may help in 

 aeration during the fortnight or so the embryo is enclosed within it. 

 When th.e tiny tadpole leaves the protective coating it has externa.1 



