LARKS — TOADS 



235 



during pairing-time, the toad seems to be endowed with a considerable amount 

 of intelligence. It also knows how to accommodate itself to circumstances. 

 When in captivity and fed regularly, it forsakes its nocturnal habits and soon 

 learns to know and distinguish its keeper from other persons, while in time 

 it will follow when called by name. It may even be touched and caressed 

 without its making use of the acrid secretion from the skin; and seems to 

 remember bad treatment, since it is obviously alarmed at the reappearance of 

 any person by whom it has been teased. On account, however, of its clumsy body, 

 phlegmatic habits, and sluggish, awkward movements, it has earned an ill-deserved 



reputation for stupidity. Its walk is a laborious crawl, which becomes a sort of 

 hobble when in pursuit of food ; but when young it can leap, although it does so but 

 seldom. A toad is very quick in digging a hole in loose soil, although generally it 

 makes one only big enough to hide the lower half of its body; it also swims in a 

 masterly fashion, if the current be not too strong. During pairing-time the female 

 utters a sort of squeak, and the male a high-toned, soft, short croak. 



The natterjack toad (B. calam ita) is a far less generally distributed 



Natterjack Toad. . , , „ ,,,,,. -r, . 1 t 1 1 • ii 



species, although found locally, from Portugal and Ireland in the 

 west to the Vistula in the east, and from the south of Scotland, Denmark, and the 

 south of Sweden in the north to Gibraltar in the south. It is, however, unknown 



