﻿222 
  BUF0N1DJ3. 
  

  

  toes, 
  by 
  darting, 
  with 
  lightning 
  rapidity, 
  its 
  exsertiie 
  

   slimy 
  tongue. 
  Its 
  movements 
  on 
  land 
  are 
  slow, 
  

   partly 
  by 
  crawling, 
  partly 
  by 
  short 
  leaps. 
  In 
  the 
  

   water, 
  to 
  which 
  it 
  resorts 
  once 
  a 
  year 
  for 
  the 
  

   purpose 
  of 
  breeding, 
  it 
  proves 
  no 
  bad 
  swimmer, 
  

   owing 
  to 
  the 
  well-developed 
  web 
  of 
  the 
  feet. 
  Its 
  

   intelligence 
  is 
  greater 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  any 
  other 
  Batra- 
  

   chian 
  ; 
  in 
  captivity 
  it 
  soon 
  accommodates 
  itself 
  to 
  its 
  

   surroundings, 
  understands 
  that 
  a 
  glass 
  partition 
  is 
  

   an 
  obstacle, 
  and, 
  placed 
  on 
  a 
  table, 
  will 
  not 
  attempt 
  

   to 
  jump 
  off, 
  whilst 
  a 
  frog 
  will 
  not 
  hesitate 
  to 
  take 
  a 
  

   leap 
  from 
  a 
  fifth-story 
  balcony. 
  It 
  is, 
  therefore, 
  easily 
  

   tamed, 
  answering 
  the 
  call 
  of 
  its 
  master 
  to 
  take 
  food 
  

   from 
  the 
  hand, 
  or 
  flattening 
  itself 
  down 
  to 
  let 
  him 
  

   stroke 
  its 
  back. 
  A 
  large 
  Jersey 
  specimen 
  I 
  kept 
  for 
  

   twelve 
  years, 
  raised 
  its 
  head 
  and 
  came 
  out 
  of 
  its 
  place 
  

   of 
  concealment 
  when 
  I 
  knocked 
  on 
  the 
  glass 
  front 
  of 
  its 
  

   terrarium 
  ; 
  it 
  did 
  not 
  evince 
  the 
  slightest 
  timidity, 
  — 
  

   in 
  fact, 
  liked 
  being 
  handled, 
  and 
  was 
  ever 
  ready 
  to 
  

   take 
  food. 
  In 
  its 
  excessive 
  greediness 
  it 
  would 
  swallow 
  

   so 
  many 
  large 
  earthworms 
  in 
  succession 
  that, 
  after 
  

   a 
  time, 
  they 
  were 
  passed 
  alive 
  ; 
  on 
  two 
  occasions 
  it 
  

   disposed 
  of 
  whole 
  litters 
  of 
  new-born 
  mice. 
  T. 
  Bell 
  

   has 
  recorded, 
  on 
  the 
  authority 
  of 
  the 
  Rev. 
  John 
  

   Phillips, 
  of 
  Ninfield, 
  Sussex, 
  the 
  curious 
  case 
  of 
  a 
  toad 
  

   attempting 
  to 
  swallow 
  a 
  viper. 
  Although 
  crepuscular, 
  

   this 
  toad 
  occasionally 
  leaves 
  its 
  retreat 
  in 
  the 
  day- 
  

   time, 
  namely, 
  during 
  thunderstorms. 
  Specimens 
  are 
  

   also 
  not 
  infrequently 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  the 
  daytime, 
  crawling 
  

   about 
  in 
  great 
  pain, 
  with 
  the 
  snout 
  or 
  even 
  the 
  greater 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  a 
  deep 
  sore, 
  swarming 
  with 
  dipterous 
  

   larvae. 
  

  

  The 
  question 
  whether 
  the 
  flies 
  that 
  select 
  toads 
  for 
  

   the 
  rearing 
  of 
  their 
  maggots 
  constitute 
  a 
  distinct 
  

   form 
  (Lucilia 
  bufonivora, 
  Moniez), 
  like 
  the 
  Australian 
  

   Batrachomyia, 
  or 
  not, 
  has 
  been 
  much 
  discussed 
  among 
  

   entomologists, 
  but 
  1 
  believe 
  the 
  balance 
  of 
  opinion 
  

   now 
  is 
  that 
  various 
  species 
  resort 
  to 
  that 
  host, 
  on 
  

   which 
  they 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  predatory, 
  not 
  

  

  