Vitality of Toads, ^c. 41 



hy the existing remains of the buried cities, as well as the historical 

 evidence which is proper to themselves ? 



Among the questions which geology is at present attempting to 

 solve, is that of a different temperature of some regions of the earth 

 at a remote age. The discoveries of Pallas and Adams, of a rhi- 

 noceros and elephant in Siberia, having coverings of hair fit to pro- 

 tect them from the cold of the northern regions, would seem to de- 

 cide the question, so far at least as to show, that there has been no 

 change of temperature since the creation of animals. But the ques- 

 tion does not seem yet so satisfactorily answered, so far back as to 

 the age of the creation of vegetables. Does not the statement in 

 Genesis, that the establishment of our present days and seasons was 

 intermediate between the creation of vegetables and that of animals, 

 give us a clew to direct our path in the inquiry ? 



Art. IV. — On the Vitality of Toads, ^c. enclosed in firm mate- 

 rials ; by the Hon. Wm. A. Thompson, of Thompson, N. Y. 



Having observed in Vol. xxiii. No. 2, of the Journal of Science, 

 an account of some experiments made by Professor Buckland of 

 Oxford, on the long continued vitality of toads ; and having reflected 

 on these experiments, and their results, together with the conclusions 

 drawn from them, I have been led to doubt whether the object which 

 Dr. Buckland had in view, could be obtained in the manner and un- 

 der the circumstances in which his trials were made. The reptiles 

 were enclosed in two different pieces of stone; in the one case, in 

 cells twelve inches deep and five in diameter, and in the other, the 

 same number of toads were enclosed in sandstone, in cells of smaller 

 dimensions. It appears, that at the end of a year or more, those in 

 the smaller cells were all dead, whife most of those in the sandstone 

 were alive, although much diminished in weight. After the cells 

 were taken up and examined, the surviving toads were enclosed 

 again until the end of another year ; they were then taken up, and 

 all found dead. At the same time that the other toads were enclo- 

 sed in the stone, four others were shut up in three holes cut in the 

 trunk of an apple tree, five inches deep and three in diameter, and 

 the holes were carefully closed with plugs of wood, so as to be ap- 

 parently tight ; at the end of a year they were all found dead. 



Vol. XXV.—No. 1. ' 6 



