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ANURA 



CHAP. 



stage upon which their food was spread. After a few weeks 

 they had learned this so thoroughly that, towards the usual 

 hour of feeding, they climbed most laboriously on to the slates, 

 lying in wait between the flower - pots, and coming forward 

 when we entered the house. The rest of the day and night 

 they spent on the ground, under stones or plants, each in its 

 individual lair. The biggest 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 



FIG. 35. Bufo vulgaris. Portuguese specimen, xf. 



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 with the jaws and laboriously 

 poked in with the hands, the fingers being so placed as to clean 

 the worm of adherent soil and other impurities. Very large 

 worms are shaken, twisted, pressed against the ground and 

 gulped down with convulsive movements, but not unfrequently 

 the tip-end remains for some minutes sticking out of the tightly 

 shut mouth. Several are taken at one sitting, until the toad 

 is gorged. One of the biggest took full-grown mice, which 



