THE SPADE-FOOT TOAD. 141 



that tlie little toe terminates also in a horny knob, a fact 

 which has hitherto, I believe, been overlooked. 



I have already mentioned how quickly the young 

 hoppers dug little tunnels for themselves when placed 

 upon the earth. At that early age the growth of the 

 "spade" had commenced. This is now a white, soft, 

 cartilaginous process, differing greatly from the same 

 feature on an adult foot. It can scarcely be of use in 

 digging, at this time, and so leads us to infer that the 

 young choose more yielding earth and remain nearer 

 the surface than do the adult spade-foots. In such a 

 case the older the creature and better developed the 

 spade the deeper are the subterranean homes wherein 

 they seem to remain so closely, and from which, moved 

 by some common impulse, they mysteriously come forth, 

 in multitudes, to startle the passer-by with their weird 

 cries, and then as suddenly disappear. 



