150 



KEARTONS' NATURE PICTURES 



mence to blow they retire to the bottoms 

 of muddy pools, where it is said they 

 spend the winter embracing each other. 

 I once came upon a number when 

 draining off a piece of boggy ground, 

 but they were not keeping such close 

 company. 



The Common Toad is a much maligned, 

 entirely inoffensive, and withal very 

 useful creature. Its habits are much 

 more terrestrial than those of the Frog, 



as it only takes to the water in the 

 spring time for the purpose of laying its 

 eggs, which are deposited in long strings. 

 It is said to lay later than the Frog, and 

 that the young ones do not change from 

 the tadpole stage, and emerge from the 

 water until the autumn. 



Toads change their skins at certain 

 periods, and strangely enough swallow 

 the old cuticle as soon as it has been 

 shed. 



The tongue of the Toad, like that of 

 the Frog, is fixed to the front of the 

 under jaw, and when a tempting insect 

 is espied it is darted out with lightning- 

 like rapidity and returns with the prey 

 affixed to its sticky surface. 



Old stories of live Toads being found in 

 cavities of otherwise solid pieces of rock 

 reappear from time to time, and are 

 credited by a large section of the public. 

 Careful experiments have proved that 

 there is no truth in them, as the creature 

 cannot live for a period of two years 

 without food and air. 



