ORDER BATRACHIA. 457 



air, lived for a great number of days, and much longer than 

 those which were forced to remain under water. This cer- 

 tainly is one of the most extraordinary phenomena which the 

 history of reptiles can furnish. It appears an exception to 

 the necessity of air, which is regarded as indispensable to the 

 life of all animals, and seems to break the chain which united 

 them under the most interesting relations of existence. It 

 appears, however, that the air evidently penetrated through 

 the plaster, as Dr. Edwards proved, for the toads perished 

 as soon as the plaster which enclosed them was placed under 

 water. The opponents of Herissant were therefore justified 

 to some degree in their scepticism. Still the fact of animals 

 existing so long under such circumstances, even with a little 

 air, is most surprising, and calculated to produce very 

 strange reflections. If these reptiles lived in this manner 

 longer than they would have done in the open dry air, the 

 reason is that they lost less by transpiration, and if they died 

 much later than they would have done in water, it was be- 

 cause the air certainly had some access to them. 



We also find, on observation_, that toads, shut up for a 

 long time in solid masses, have the mouth filled with a sort 

 of mucous inembrane. M. Schneider has remarked that 

 frogs, during their hybernation, submerged in mud, had the 

 same part stuffed with mucus and mud. 



With the toads the feet are seldom used in walking. They 

 all creep, and when surprised, do not seek safety in flight, 

 but stop suddenly, swell their body, render it hard and 

 elastic, distil from the tubercles on the skin a white and fetid 

 humour, shoot a peculiar fluid from the anus, and attempt 

 to bite. But their bite occasions no great inconvenience, 

 merely producing at times a slight inflammation. 



The liquid ejaculated from the anus is not urine. It has 

 been supposed, but very erroneously, to be venomous. That 

 which oozes from the tubercles is equally harmless. It has 

 been pretended that when these liquids were deposited on 



