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  parasitic, 
  since 
  its 
  life 
  is 
  speedily 
  destroyed. 
  The 
  

   larvae 
  have 
  been 
  mostly 
  referred 
  to 
  Lucilia 
  silvatica 
  

   and 
  Galliphora 
  eri/throcephala. 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  suggested 
  

   that 
  the 
  eggs 
  may 
  have 
  been 
  laid 
  in 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  

   toad 
  whilst 
  feeding, 
  but 
  it 
  appears 
  to 
  me 
  more 
  

   probable 
  that 
  certain 
  flies 
  simply 
  avail 
  themselves 
  of 
  

   ulcers, 
  from 
  which 
  these 
  Batrachians 
  not 
  uncommonly 
  

   suffer, 
  especially 
  about 
  the 
  snout; 
  in 
  which 
  case 
  the 
  

   nasal 
  cavities 
  become 
  converted 
  into 
  a 
  nursery, 
  whence 
  

   the 
  swarming 
  larvae 
  soon 
  spread 
  to 
  the 
  eyes 
  and 
  brain, 
  

   until 
  the 
  whole 
  head 
  is 
  eaten 
  away, 
  leaving 
  nothing 
  

   but 
  the 
  skull 
  partly 
  covered 
  by 
  the 
  tough 
  integument. 
  

  

  Owing, 
  no 
  doubt, 
  to 
  the 
  necessity 
  for 
  securing 
  food 
  

   in 
  greater 
  quantity, 
  young 
  specimens 
  are 
  more 
  diurnal, 
  

   and 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  daytime 
  going 
  about 
  in 
  damp 
  

   places 
  in 
  woods 
  or 
  other 
  shady 
  localities. 
  During 
  periods 
  

   of 
  drought 
  myriads 
  of 
  tiny 
  toads, 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  

   compelled 
  to 
  leave 
  the 
  water 
  after 
  the 
  metamorphosis, 
  

   conceal 
  themselves 
  under 
  stones 
  and 
  in 
  fissures 
  in 
  the 
  

   soil, 
  whence 
  they 
  emerge 
  all 
  at 
  a 
  time 
  during 
  or 
  after 
  

   a 
  heavy 
  shower 
  in 
  such 
  numbers 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  sometimes 
  

   impossible 
  to 
  walk 
  along 
  a 
  path 
  without 
  crushing 
  a 
  

   lot. 
  Such 
  sudden 
  apparitions 
  have 
  given 
  rise 
  to 
  the 
  

   idea 
  of 
  showers 
  of 
  toads. 
  

  

  Pairing 
  takes 
  place 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  four 
  weeks 
  later 
  

   than 
  in 
  the 
  common 
  frog 
  ; 
  in 
  England 
  between 
  the 
  

   end 
  of 
  March 
  and 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  April, 
  somewhat 
  

   earlier 
  in 
  warmer 
  latitudes, 
  and 
  as 
  late 
  as 
  the 
  begin- 
  

   ning 
  of 
  May 
  in 
  Norway, 
  when 
  toads 
  congregate 
  in 
  

   large 
  numbers 
  in 
  ponds 
  and 
  pools, 
  very 
  rarely 
  in 
  

   shallow 
  ditches. 
  The 
  males 
  are 
  always 
  much 
  the 
  more 
  

   numerous, 
  and 
  quarrel 
  with 
  rage 
  over 
  the 
  females 
  ; 
  

   their 
  cry 
  resembles 
  the 
  distant 
  barking 
  of 
  a 
  little 
  

   dog. 
  The 
  male 
  seizes 
  the 
  female 
  by 
  poking 
  the 
  

   clenched 
  fists 
  in 
  the 
  axils, 
  and 
  the 
  embrace 
  is 
  so 
  

   frantic 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  extremely 
  difficult 
  to 
  dislodge 
  him. 
  

   Individuals 
  of 
  the 
  former 
  sex 
  are 
  usually 
  smaller, 
  and 
  

   it 
  is 
  not 
  rare 
  to 
  find 
  a 
  young 
  male 
  paired 
  with 
  a 
  

   female 
  at 
  least 
  twice 
  his 
  length. 
  If 
  the 
  weather 
  be 
  

  

  