Oi^ NATURAL HISTORY. s^S 



in the year 1768: 'It would give me the greateft pleafure,' fays Mr 

 Arfcott, ' to be able to inform you of any particulars worthy Mr 

 Pennant's notice, concerning the toad who lived fo many years 

 with us, and was fo great a favourite. — It had frequented fome 

 fleps before the hall-door fome years before my acquaintance com- 

 menced with it, and had been admired by my father for its fizc, 

 (which was of the largeft I ever met with), who conftantly paid it 

 a vifit every evening. I knew it myfelf above thirty years, and, 

 by conftantly feeding it, brought it to be fo tame, that it always 

 came to the candle, and looked up, as if expeding to be taken up 

 and brought upon the table, where I always fed it with infe<a:s of 

 all forts. — You may imagine that a toad, generally detefted, (al- 

 though one of the moft inoffenfive of all animals), fo much taken 

 notice of and befriended, excited the curiofity of all, comers to the 

 houfe, who all defired to fee it fed ; fo that even ladies fo far con- 

 quered the horrors inftilled into them by nurfes, as to defire to fee 

 it *.' In the fecond letter, Mr Arfcott remarks, * I cannot fay 

 how long my father had been acquainted with the toad before I 

 knew it; but, when I was firft acquainted with it, he ufed to men- 

 tion it as the old toad I have known fo many years ; I can anfwer 

 for thirty-fix years f.' — ' In refpe(3: to Its end, had it not been for 

 a tame raven, I make no doubt but it would have been now living, 

 who one day, feeing it at the mouth of its hole, pulled it out, and, 

 though I refcued it, pulled out one eye, and hurt it fo, that, not- 

 withftanding its living a twelvemonth, it never enjoyed Itfelf, and 

 had a difficulty in taking its food, miffing the mark for want of 

 its eye. Before that accident it had all the appearance of perfedl 

 health ;.' 



3 T 2 ^ Moft 



* Pennant's Britifli Zoology, vol. 3. pag- 323. 



f Ibid. pag. 326. . 



t Ibid. pag. 331. - . 



