﻿32 
  INTRODUCTION. 
  

  

  as 
  to 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  secretion 
  ; 
  some 
  regarded 
  it 
  as 
  

   an 
  acid, 
  others 
  as 
  an 
  alkaloid. 
  Phisalix, 
  in 
  1890, 
  

   claimed 
  to 
  have 
  solved 
  the 
  question 
  by 
  reconciling 
  

   both 
  views, 
  he 
  having 
  found 
  toads 
  to 
  be 
  simultaneously 
  

   possessed 
  of 
  two 
  different 
  kinds 
  of 
  glands, 
  different 
  

   both 
  anatomically 
  and 
  physiologically. 
  These 
  are 
  

   mucous 
  or 
  slime 
  glands 
  spread 
  over 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  

   of 
  the 
  body, 
  the 
  exudation 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  controlled 
  by 
  

   the 
  animal 
  ; 
  and 
  specific 
  glands 
  (the 
  parotoids 
  and 
  the 
  

   larger 
  dorsal 
  glands), 
  the 
  product 
  of 
  which 
  can 
  only 
  

   be 
  squirted 
  out 
  by 
  foreign 
  agency. 
  The 
  secretion 
  of 
  

   the 
  former 
  glands 
  is 
  an 
  alkaloid, 
  and 
  acts 
  as 
  a 
  

   narcotic 
  ; 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  an 
  acid, 
  and 
  acts 
  as 
  a 
  

   convulsive. 
  The 
  anatomical 
  differences 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  

   kinds 
  of 
  glands 
  have 
  since 
  been 
  worked 
  out 
  by 
  Paul 
  

   Schultz, 
  who, 
  however, 
  regards 
  the 
  product 
  of 
  the 
  

   slime 
  glands 
  as 
  innocuous. 
  

  

  Phisalix 
  and 
  Berfcrand's 
  recent 
  investigations 
  have 
  

   shown 
  the 
  active 
  principle 
  of 
  toad-poison, 
  the 
  so-called 
  

   jjhrynin, 
  to 
  be 
  also 
  present 
  in 
  certain 
  quantities 
  in 
  the 
  

   blood 
  of 
  these 
  Batrachians. 
  

  

  Even 
  the 
  frogs 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  Bana, 
  so 
  sensitive 
  to 
  the 
  

   poison 
  of 
  other 
  Batrachians, 
  are 
  not 
  free 
  from 
  toxic 
  

   properties. 
  A 
  goldfinch 
  inoculated 
  by 
  Paul 
  Bert 
  with 
  

   the 
  dermal 
  secretion 
  of 
  Bana 
  esculemta 
  died 
  in 
  one 
  

   minute 
  ; 
  a 
  frog 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  species 
  in 
  one 
  hour 
  and 
  a 
  

   quarter. 
  

  

  The 
  secretion 
  of 
  Alytes, 
  Pelodytes, 
  and 
  Pelohates 
  

   smells 
  like 
  garlic, 
  so 
  strongly 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  

   observed 
  the 
  odour 
  to 
  remain 
  for 
  hours 
  in 
  a 
  room 
  

   after 
  I 
  had 
  purposely 
  irritated 
  a 
  few 
  specimens. 
  

   That 
  of 
  Bufo 
  calamita 
  smells 
  like 
  boiled 
  india- 
  

   rubber, 
  like 
  ignited 
  gunpowder, 
  or 
  a 
  Dutch 
  clay 
  pipe 
  

   smoked 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  time, 
  according 
  to 
  Rosel's 
  com- 
  

   parison; 
  whilst 
  that 
  of 
  its 
  near 
  ally, 
  Bufo 
  viridis, 
  

   always 
  reminds 
  me 
  of 
  a 
  linseed 
  poultice. 
  

  

  A 
  chemical 
  comparative 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  dermal 
  secre- 
  

   tion 
  in 
  the 
  various 
  types 
  of 
  European 
  tailless 
  Batra- 
  

   chians 
  is 
  still 
  a 
  desideratum. 
  

  

  