1716 The Zoologist — June, 1869. 



small, blackish, and connected together in a double series by a 

 glutinous thread, like beads on a couple of parallel strings : in no 

 instance have I found masses of spawn like those deposited by the 

 frog, and with which we are so familiar. I have always found the 

 breeding places of the Natteijack to be shallow pools on open sandy 

 heaths ; indeed, they seem to prefer to have the water so shallow that 

 they can keep the mouth and nose exposed while they are still resting 

 on the bottom. Having discovered such a resort, I have always 

 fished it with my water-beetle net, and after the water has drained off 

 1 have found the double-beaded strings of Natterjack spawn crossing 

 in all directions the cheesecloth of which the net is made, in warm 

 weather the eggs are hatched in a few days, and the tadpoles retain 

 that state for many weeks : in 1848 I possessed tadpoles of the Natter- 

 jack still unchanged on the 12lh of October, as stated in the 'Zoo- 

 logist' (Zool. 2305). I made a series of drawings of the tadpoles in 

 all their stages, but these present no material difference from those of 

 the toad, or even of the frog, except in their less size and darker 

 colour. They appear to feed entirely on decomposing matter, and I 

 have no doubt that, in conjunction with the tadpoles of frogs and toads, 

 they act beneficially as scavengers and purifyeis, devouring all decay- 

 ing substances that may chance to come in their way. 1 have seen 

 them congregated by thousands about the carcase of a drowned dog, 

 and on one occasion I obtained about half a pint of these little crea- 

 tures from such a situation with one sweep of the net. Their meta- 

 morphosis usually takes place about the beginning of September, and 

 the young Natterjacks are excessively small, but in no period of their 

 final state, however small they may be, is there any difficulty in recog- 

 nising the mediodorsal stripe which serves as their distinctive charac- 

 teristic : as soon as their transformation is complete they leave the 

 water for a time, but remain on the very brink, forming a living belt 

 round the sinuous margin: immediately on being disturbed they 

 scuttle back into the water, diving at once to the bottom, and remain- 

 ing out of sight until the supposed danger has passed. Whatever the 

 danger, however pressing the emergency, and whatever his stature, 

 the Natteijack never demeans himself by adopting the hopping mode 

 of progression so derogatory to dignity in the common toad. The 

 baby Natterjacks remain round the margins of their native pools for a 

 month or more, only returning to the water on occasions, and during 

 this period they seem to have very little opportunity of tasting food. 

 At this period the amphibious character of Mctamorphotic Rej)tiles is 



