ON THE TOAD. 497 



" ing it, brought it to be so tame that it al- 

 " ways came to the candle, and looked up as 

 " if expecting to be taken up and brought upon 

 " the table, where I always fed it with insects 

 " of all sorts : it was fondest of flesh maggots, 

 11 which I kept in bran ; it would follow them, 

 " and when within a proper distance, would fix 

 " its eye, and remain motionless for near a 

 " quarter of a minute, as if preparing for the 

 " stroke, which was an instantaneous throwing 

 " its tongue at a great distance upon the iri- 

 " sect, which stuck to the tip by a glutinous 

 " matter : the motion is quicker than the eye 

 " can follow. * 



" I always imagined that the root of its 

 " tongue was placed in the fore part of its 

 " under jaw, and the tip towards its throat, by 

 " which the motion must be a half circle ; by 

 " which, when its tongue recovered its situa- 

 " tion, the insect at the tip would be brought 

 " to the place of deglutition. I was confirmed 

 " in this, by never observing any internal mo- 

 " tion in its mouth, excepting one swallow the 

 " instant its tongue returned. Possibly I might 



* This rapid capture of its prey might give occasion to the 

 report of its fascinating powers. Linnceus says, Insecta infauces 

 fascino revocat. 



VOL. III. 2 K 



