THE COMMON TOAD. 127 



our readers will have observed, to draw pretty 

 freely from the experiences of our friends. This 

 we have preferred doing in their own language, 

 at the risk of all imputation of " scissors and 

 paste/' rather than rob those of honour " to 

 whom honour is due." 



This reptile is far more terrestrial in its habits 

 than the frog, yet its ova are deposited and de- 

 veloped in water ; and the first six months of its 

 career it is as aquatic as a fish. The eggs are 

 arranged in long double chains, and not deposited 

 in a mass, as is the case with the frog. There 

 appears to be very little difference between them 

 in their early stages. The ova are deposited 

 two or three weeks later ; the tadpoles are simi- 

 lar but darker, pass through the like stages, and, 

 in the autumn, having attained their legs and 

 lost their tails, they venture upon the land, as 

 miniature toads, and commence their terrestrial 

 life. In this state they crawl about in search of 

 their prey, neither running with the natterjack, 

 nor leaping with the frog, but less vivacious than 

 either, and more persecuted than both. 



We have alluded to the incarceration of frogs 

 in blocks of granite, &c., and, out of courtesy to 

 the toad, which deserves as much at our hands, 

 subjoin from the Leeds Mercury, an account there 

 given of a truly patriarchal toad, at least if the 

 assumptions of its historian are true : 



