OF SELBORNE. 83 



viviparous: and yet 7^<^/j/ classes them among 

 his oviparous animals ; and is silent with 

 reo;ard to the manner of their bringing 

 forth. Perhaps they may be iau (xiv cJotoxoi, 

 i]^u) <J£ ^woT&xot, as is known to be the case 

 with the viper. 



The copulation of frogs (or at least the 

 appearance of it; for Swammerdam proves 

 that the male has no penis intransj is noto- 

 rious to every body : because we see them 

 sticking upon each other's backs for a month 

 together in the Spring : and yet I never 

 saw, or read, of toads being observed in the 

 same situation. It is strange that the mat- 

 ter with regard to the venom of toads has 

 not been yet settled. That they are not 

 noxious to some animals is plain : for 

 ducks, buzzards, owls, stone curlews, and 

 snakes, eat them, to my knowledge, with 

 impunity. And I well remember the time, 

 but was not eye-witness to the fact (though 

 numbers of persons were), when a quack, at 

 this village, ate a toad to make the country- 

 people stare ; afterwards he drank oil. 



I have been informed also, from un- 



G 2 



