POPE: WEST INDIAN ANURA IN BERMUDA. 121 



sides, gardens and edges of mangrove swamps in Pembroke Parisli. 

 They are nocturnal in liabit, like our American toad {Biifo americanus). 

 A street light half way between 'Grasmere' and Hamilton was a 

 favorite place for them, and two or three were usually to be seen under 

 it, picking up the insects that were attracted by the light. If alarmed 

 they travel by a series of rapid hops, giving the effect of a run and going 

 much faster than a person can walk. In the day time they hide under 

 stones or boards, or burrow into soft earth. I have sometimes seen 

 them in little burrows in the side of a bank, where they had dug 

 themselves in just far enough to be out of the sun. 



Bufo agua is the largest of living toads. An average female meas- 

 ured 145 mm. from snout to vent, and Waite describes one 155 mm. 

 in length. 



The sexes are quite differently marked, as the accompanying photo- 

 graphs show. In general appearance the female resembles our 

 American toad, but there are certain marked differences. The body 

 is flatter and longer in proportion to its bulk and the arms are longer, 

 so that the whole appearance of the toad is less fat and clumsy. The 

 parotoid gland behind the ear is very large, about 38 mm. long and 

 25 mm. wide, and closely set with pores. These are the openings of 

 glands that secrete a poisonous milky substance, which is exuded 

 when the toad is injured. The bony cranial crests in front of these 

 are very conspicuous, forming a system of dark-colored ridges above 

 the ear and eye, those of the two sides joining in a rather obtuse angle 

 above the snout. 



The color of the female is dark brownish gray with a suggestion of 

 olive, while the head parts and dorsal stripe are light yellowish brown. 

 There is a pair of large dark spots on each side of the dorsal stripe. 

 The skin of the back is rough and warty and the warts are usually 

 darker colored than the rest of the back. 



The male is smaller, usually about 13 mm. shorter, and more active 

 than the female. 



The coloring of the male is pale yellowish brown with only faint 

 traces of the markings seen in the female. The warts are rather 

 smaller and are covered with black tubercles. 



The call of the male is a deep, booming trill suggesting that of our 

 American toad but louder and more resonant. 



In regard to the poison of this toad, Verrill ( : 02) says : 



" This toad is believed .... to have a very poisonous secretion from 

 its parotid and dorsal glands. It is said that dogs that mouth them 

 invariably die within a few hours. The secretion of the glands, when 



