JULY 131 



quote him, which is more honest than to offer his 

 observations in paraphrase : 



' The biggest [toad] of all, and several others, became so 

 tame that they took food whilst sitting on the hand, and 

 then they looked up for more. The food must be alive and 

 show movement. Mealworms, snails, beetles, and other 

 small creatures are first carefully inspected with bent-down 

 head, and are sometimes followed for a few inches. Then 

 comes an audible snap, a flash of the rosy tongue, and the 

 prey has disappeared. Large earthworms are nipped up by 

 the jaws and laboriously poked in with the hands. . . . 

 Several are taken at one sitting, until the toad is gorged. 

 One of the biggest took full-grown mice, which were not 

 " fascinated by the fiery eyes," but were stalked into a corner 

 and then pounced upon immediately when they moved. The 

 shells of snails can for half a day be felt through the body. 

 ... I know of no instance of slugs being eaten.' 1 



It is perhaps not generally known that a toad changes 

 its skin at intervals of a few weeks, the operation being 

 accomplished almost as quickly and easily as the un- 

 robing of a judge. But the judge who should follow in 

 every respect the toad's example in this process would 

 be landed at last in a difficulty, because the toad, 

 grasping the old skin with its fingers, draws it up to its 

 head, crams it into its mouth, and swallows it ! 



1 The Cambridge Natural Plistory, vol. viii. pp. 172, 173. 



