106 CHAPTERS ON THE NATURAL HISTORY 



they capture in the trees where the}' live. There are about a 

 dozen other species of hylas found in the southern and western 

 parts of this country, while the species now being described is 

 likewise found in the west. On one occasion I remember cap- 

 turing four large specimens of them in the crevices of the dark 

 moss-covered rocks that inclosed a well-known spring near Fort 

 Wingate, New Mexico. It w r as marvelous to see how closely 

 their mottled skins matched the rocks upon which they were, 

 both in color and appearance. 



These tree-toads will live a long time without taking either 

 food or water; they exhibit but little evidence of inconvenience 

 from such treatment, even after a fortnight, and then if they 

 have access to fresh water they appear as well as ever. Many 

 times I have kept them with the hope of studying their mode of 

 reproduction, but have never succeeded in getting them to breed 

 in captivity. 



The history of the true toads (Bufo) is full of interest, and 

 would fill a goodly volume. One of their chief characters con- 

 sists in the large, protuberant w r arts on their skin, which secrete 

 an acrid fluid, very obnoxious to carnivorous animals, and prob- 

 ably protects them against their attacks. These batrachians 

 have four toes in front and five behind, as in the frogs. On the 

 latter they are joined usually by complete webs of membrane. 

 In speaking of the Common toad of Europe (B. vulgaris) a popu- 

 lar writer at hand truly remarks that instances have occurred of 

 these animals having been found imbedded in indurated clay, the 

 solid trunks of trees, and even in rocks, where it was believed 

 they had remained for years, perhaps for ages; yet on being lib- 

 erated, came fully to life. The general opinion of scientific nat- 

 uralists is, that these accounts are either untrue or inaccurate. 

 They believe that toads may subsist for a long time, perhaps 

 for years, with very little food or air, and that they may have 

 been found apparently inclosed in solid substances, but that in 

 point of fact there was some crack or crevice through which they 

 obtained air and small insects sufficient to support life. 



The " croakings " of toads and frogs are often very remark- 

 able, and, taken in connection with the anatomy of their voice 

 organs, well worthy of study. Shakespeare speaks of the myth 

 of the jewel in the head of a toad, and this is probably founded 

 upon the great beauty of its bright eyes, in which the iris fre- 

 quently has all the brilliancy of a fine opal or sapphire. 



