﻿200 
  PELOBATTD^. 
  

  

  Habits. 
  — 
  Pelohates 
  fuscits 
  is 
  a 
  thorouglily 
  burrowing 
  

   Batracliiaii, 
  spending 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  its 
  existence 
  

   several 
  feet 
  below 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  ground, 
  the 
  

   capacious 
  lungs 
  filled 
  with 
  a 
  good 
  provision 
  of 
  air 
  ; 
  it 
  

   buries 
  itself 
  in 
  a 
  nearly 
  erect 
  squatting 
  posture 
  by 
  

   means 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  sharp-edged 
  horny 
  shovels 
  with 
  

   which 
  its 
  feet 
  are 
  armed, 
  the 
  digging 
  being 
  effected 
  

   by 
  alternate 
  lateral 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  heels, 
  inter- 
  

   rupted 
  now 
  and 
  then 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  rest; 
  on 
  sand 
  or 
  a 
  

   very 
  loose 
  soil 
  less 
  than 
  a 
  minute 
  may 
  suffice 
  for 
  the 
  

   animal 
  to 
  disappear 
  from 
  sight, 
  the 
  soil 
  falHng 
  over 
  

   and 
  around 
  it 
  so 
  as 
  not 
  to 
  leave 
  a 
  trace 
  of 
  a 
  burrow. 
  

   The 
  English 
  name 
  *' 
  spade-foot," 
  which 
  is 
  applied 
  to 
  

   its 
  North 
  American 
  representative, 
  ScajMopus, 
  would 
  

   be 
  a 
  most 
  appropriate 
  one. 
  Owing 
  to 
  these 
  habits 
  it 
  

   is 
  only 
  found 
  in 
  localities 
  where 
  the 
  soil 
  is 
  light 
  or 
  

   sandy; 
  in 
  cultivated 
  districts 
  the 
  extensive 
  growth 
  of 
  

   asparagus 
  is 
  an 
  almost 
  infallible 
  indication 
  of 
  its 
  pre- 
  

   sence. 
  In 
  the 
  summer 
  months 
  it 
  emerges 
  an 
  hour 
  or* 
  

   two 
  after 
  sunset, 
  and 
  hopping 
  along 
  frog-like, 
  sets 
  

   forth 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  its 
  food, 
  consisting 
  of 
  worms, 
  slugs, 
  

   and 
  all 
  kinds 
  of 
  insects, 
  especially 
  beetles. 
  When 
  

   suddenly 
  seized 
  it 
  produces 
  a 
  dermal 
  exudation, 
  smell- 
  

   ing 
  like 
  garlic, 
  and 
  usually 
  utters 
  a 
  startling 
  shrill 
  cry 
  

   much 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  kitten, 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  opening- 
  

   its 
  mouth 
  in 
  a 
  defiant 
  attitude. 
  Some 
  specimens 
  

   when 
  repeatedly 
  teased 
  — 
  pinches 
  in 
  the 
  leg 
  and 
  light 
  

   pokes 
  in 
  the 
  sides 
  being 
  the 
  best 
  method 
  to 
  employ 
  

   to 
  Avitness 
  the 
  sight 
  — 
  can 
  be 
  roused 
  to 
  what 
  appears 
  

   to 
  be 
  a 
  fit 
  of 
  anger 
  lasting 
  several 
  minutes, 
  the 
  animal 
  

   screaming 
  in 
  a 
  most 
  extraordinary 
  manner, 
  and 
  jump- 
  

   ing 
  madly 
  with 
  open 
  mouth 
  as 
  if 
  to 
  snap 
  at 
  its 
  perse- 
  

   cutor. 
  The 
  prolonged 
  screams 
  produced 
  on 
  those 
  occa- 
  

   sions 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  compared, 
  in 
  a 
  diminutive 
  way, 
  to 
  

   those 
  of 
  an 
  infant. 
  At 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  the 
  lungs 
  are 
  

   inflated 
  to 
  their 
  utmost, 
  and 
  the 
  body, 
  swollen 
  like 
  a 
  

   ball, 
  is 
  raised 
  above 
  ground. 
  A 
  specimen 
  is 
  figured 
  

   in 
  this 
  attitude 
  on 
  PL 
  IX, 
  right 
  hand. 
  These 
  antics 
  

   are 
  very 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  performed 
  by 
  Geratojjhrys 
  

  

  