The Zoologist— September, 1869. 1829 



moutli by means of the fore feet, until it all disappears, when it is 

 swallowed whole." — Reptiles, p. 118. 



I think in quoting this graphic passage with entire confidence, as 

 emanating from so high an authority, I am bound to add that I have 

 never been able to verify the description of the toad's tongue. I have 

 never found any indication of the presence of the " viscid mucous 

 secretion "of which Mr. Bell speaks, and the object of the rapid 

 movement which Mr. Bell describes seems very similar to that of a 

 dog snapping at a fly. The case is somewhat different with a worm, 

 but under any circumstances there is a spasmodic or convulsive 

 twitching of the toes during the act of feeding that is very peculiar, 

 and which has rarely been noticed by toad-biographers. 



No entomologist can possibly have passed over unnoticed the array 

 of toads that collect round the foot of an often-sugared tree-trunk: 

 there they sit waiting with the most exemplary patience for the 

 Noctuse, intoxicated with the judiciously prepared mixture, to drop 

 helplessly to the ground, when their fate is sealed as effectually as in 

 the pill-box of the collector. The moth is seized at once, and being 

 occasionally too large to swallow with perfect facility and rapidity, is 

 stuffed into the mouth with the hands. But perhaps the apiarian has 

 a greater right than the entomologist to complain of the voracity of the 

 toad, for it is well known to devour the honey bee when it has the 

 chance. A friend of mine tells me that a slock of bees was observed 

 to grow weaker day by day, until at last it became so pauperized that 

 the hive was removed, and the bees turned out to shift for themselves : 

 nothing amiss was detected in the interior of the hive. A second 

 stock shortly afterwards exhibited similar symptoms of depopulation : 

 a suspicion was now entertained that some nocturnal depredator 

 entered the hive at night and devoured the bees. About two hours 

 after dark the hive was visited, with a view to an inspection of the 

 interior; but on arriving at the spot with a lanthorn, the owner found 

 nothing but a large toad squatted on the alighting board, and looking 

 about him with bright and animated eyes. Presently a night-roving 

 bee returned home ; there was a sudden movement on the part of the 

 toad, and the bee vanished. A long interval of patient watching 

 ensued, when a second bee came home, a similar movement of the 

 toad followed, and the bee again vanished ; but the light of the lan- 

 thorn being this time thrown full on the toad, he was distinctly 

 observed to swallow. The toad was caught and killed, and eight still 

 living bees were taken from his stomach. I attempt no explanation of 



