9630 Reptiles — Fishes. 



An Extraordinary Toad. — During the exravatiuns which are being carried out 

 under the superintendence of Mr. James Yeal, of D)ke House Quay, in cunuection 

 wilh ihe Hartlepool Water Works, the workmen yesterday moruing found a load, 

 embedded in a block of magnesium limestone, at a depth of twenty-tive feel from the 

 surface of the earth and eight feet from any spring-water vein. The block of stoue 

 liad been cut by a wedije, and was being reduced by workmen when a pick split open 

 the cavity in which ihe toad had been incarcerated. The cavity was no larger than 

 its body, and presented the appearance of heing a cast of it. The toad's eyes shone 

 with unusual brilliancy, and it was full of vivacity on its liberation. It appeared, 

 when first discovered, desirous to perform the process of respiration, but evidently 

 experienced some difficulty, and the only sign of success consisted of a "barking" 

 noise, which it continues invariably to make at present on being touched. Tlie toad is 

 in the possession of Mr. S. Horner, the president of the Natural History Society, and 

 continues in as lively a state as when found. On a minute examination its mouth is 

 found to be completely closed, and the barking noise it makes proceeds from its 

 nostrils. The claws of its fore feet are turned inwards, and its hind ones are of extra- 

 ordinary length and unlike the present English toad. The Rev, R. Taylor, incumbent 

 of St. Hilda's Church, Hartlepool, who is an eminent local geologist, gives it as his 

 opinion that the animal must be at least 6000 years old. The wonderful toad is to be 

 placed in its primary habitation, and will be added to the collection of the Hartlepool 

 Museum. The toad, when first released, was of a pale colour and not readily dis- 

 tinguished from the stone, but shortly alter its colour grew darker until it becaine a 

 fine olive-brown.— Z-wf/s Mercury, April 8, 1865. [Communicated, with the following 

 paragraph, by Mr. E. Birchall.] 



The Immured Toad. — It is stated in the ' Sunderland Herald ' thai the toad, lately 

 found by some quarrymcn at Hartlepool, and announced to be 6000 years old, is not a^ 

 myth. The Rev. Robert Taylor, of St. Hilda's Parsonage, stales that the load is still 

 alive, that it has no mouth, that it was found in the centre of a block of magnesiau 

 limestone, twenty-five feet below the surface of the earth, and that it differs in many 

 respects from all ordinary toads. 



The Thresher or Fox Shark at Ventnor. — It may interest the ichlhyological readers 

 of the 'Zoologist' to hear that a fine specimen of the thresher or fox shark is now on 

 exhibition here, and not quite dead when I saw it an hour ago. It was taken wilh a 

 mackerel-net, having somehow entangled itself with the rope, and it is difficult to 

 understand how so large a fish could be secured wilh such slight tackle. The total 

 length is fifteen feet four inches, of which the tail, measuring along the inferior fin 

 from base lo tip, is seven feet. The dorsal fin one fool two inches and the pectorals 

 two feet in length. I believe this is the first example of this species taken off the 

 island, but some say they have been seen before. The capture was made about nine 

 miles out. — George Guyon ; Ventnor, Isle of Wight, May 25, 1865. 



Extraordinary Abundance of Heterouereis longissima. — Early in the month of 

 April, in the present year, my attention was drawn to the fact that an immense 

 quantity of curious swimming worms (very much in appearance like the common 



