562 AMPHrBIALA. 



too great a degree of cold. In the early part of spring, like others 

 of this genus, it retires to the waters, where it continues during the 

 breeding-season, and deposits its ova or spawn in the form of double 

 necklacelike chains or strings of beautifully transparent gluten, and 

 of the length of three or four feet. 



The toad is an animal too well known to require any very parti- 

 cular description of its form. It may be necessary to observe that 

 it is alwavs covered by tubercles, or elevations on the skin, of larger 

 or smaller size in different individuals ; and that the general colour 

 of the animal is an obscure brown above, much paler and irregularly 

 spotted beneath. 



The toad arrives at a considerable age ; its general term of life 

 being supposed to extend to fifteen or even twenty years ; and Mr. 

 Pennant, in his British Zoology, gives us a curious account, commu- 

 nicated by a Mr. Arscott, of Tehott, in Devonshire, of a toad's hav- 

 ing lived, in a kind of domestic state, for the space of more than 

 forty years, and of having been in a great degree tamed, or re- 

 claimed from its natural shyness or desire of concealment ; since it 

 would always regularly come out of its hole at the approach of its 

 master, &c. in order to be fed. It grew to a very large size, and 

 was considered as so singular a curiosity, that even ladies, laying 

 aside their usual aversion and prejudices, requested to see the fa- 

 vourite toad. It was, therefore, often brought to table, and fed 

 with various insects, which it seized with great celerity, and without 

 seeming to be embarrassed by the presence of company. This ex- 

 traordinary animal generally resided in a hole beneath the steps of 

 the house door, fronting the garden ; and might, probably, have 

 survived many years longer, had it not been severely wounded by a 

 raven, which seized it before it could take refuge in its hole ; and 

 notwithstanding it was liberated from its captor, it never again en- 

 joyed its usual health, though it continued to live above a year after 

 the accident happened. 



With respect to the supposed venomous qualities of the toad, 

 from the experiments of Laurenti, it appears that small lizards, on 

 biting the common toad, were for some time disordered and para- 

 lytic, and even appeared to be dead, but in a few hours were com- 

 pletely 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 swelling of the lips, accompanied by an increased eva- 



