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  BUFONIPiE. 
  

  

  strings, 
  unlike 
  those 
  of 
  B. 
  vulgaris, 
  lose 
  their 
  cylindrical 
  

   form 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  days 
  after 
  being 
  laid, 
  each 
  inner 
  

   capsule 
  swelling 
  up, 
  and 
  ultimately 
  assume 
  a 
  rosary- 
  

   like 
  appearance. 
  

  

  Tadpole 
  (PI. 
  II, 
  fig. 
  5). 
  — 
  Differs 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  

   common 
  toad 
  in 
  the 
  narrower 
  mouth, 
  which 
  measures 
  

   less 
  than 
  the 
  interocular 
  space 
  and 
  a 
  little 
  more 
  than 
  

   the 
  distance 
  between 
  the 
  nostrils 
  ; 
  the 
  somewhat 
  

   more 
  convex 
  upper 
  caudal 
  crest 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  lesser 
  length 
  

   of 
  the 
  second 
  series 
  of 
  upper 
  labial 
  teeth, 
  which 
  is 
  

   very 
  broadly 
  interrupted 
  in 
  the 
  middle. 
  

  

  Black 
  above, 
  sides 
  and 
  belly 
  dark 
  lead-grey, 
  with 
  

   pale 
  bronzy 
  dots 
  ; 
  caudal 
  crests 
  grey, 
  finely 
  speckled 
  

   with 
  black 
  ; 
  throat 
  and 
  chin 
  sometimes 
  whitish 
  ; 
  the 
  

   light 
  vertebral 
  line, 
  characteristic 
  of 
  this 
  species, 
  

   sometimes 
  present 
  before 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  fore 
  

   limbs. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  the 
  smallest 
  European 
  tadpole, 
  seldom 
  

   reaching 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  30 
  millimetres 
  recorded 
  by 
  

   Bedriaga. 
  The 
  following 
  are 
  the 
  measurements 
  of 
  

   the 
  largest 
  of 
  hundreds 
  of 
  specimens 
  examined 
  by 
  me. 
  

   Total 
  length, 
  25 
  millimetres; 
  body, 
  10; 
  width 
  of 
  

   body, 
  7 
  ; 
  tail, 
  15; 
  depth 
  of 
  tail, 
  5. 
  

  

  Habitat. 
  — 
  The 
  natterjack 
  is 
  a 
  Western 
  species, 
  

   abundant 
  and 
  generally 
  distributed 
  in 
  France 
  and 
  the 
  

   Spanish 
  Peninsula, 
  becoming 
  gradually 
  more 
  local 
  to 
  

   the 
  east, 
  where 
  it 
  occurs 
  in 
  company 
  with 
  Bvfo 
  viridis, 
  

   and 
  not 
  extending 
  further 
  than 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Riga, 
  

   Poland, 
  Bohemia, 
  and 
  Galicia;* 
  it 
  is 
  absent 
  south 
  of 
  

   the 
  Alps 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  islands 
  of 
  the 
  Mediterranean. 
  In 
  

   the 
  north 
  it 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  Ireland, 
  in 
  Scotland 
  on 
  the 
  

   Moray 
  Firth, 
  in 
  England, 
  in 
  Denmark, 
  in 
  Southern 
  

   Sweden, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  islands 
  of 
  the 
  Baltic. 
  Its 
  distribu- 
  

   tion 
  in 
  England 
  is 
  an 
  irregular 
  one, 
  the 
  species 
  being 
  1 
  

   more 
  local 
  than 
  rare, 
  and 
  apparently 
  restricted 
  to 
  sandy 
  

   localities; 
  it 
  is 
  on 
  record 
  from 
  Middlesex, 
  Kent, 
  Surrey, 
  

   Hampshire, 
  Dorsetshire, 
  Devonshire, 
  Cornwall, 
  Hert- 
  

  

  * 
  The 
  record 
  of 
  B. 
  calamita 
  in 
  Amourland 
  is 
  probably 
  due 
  to 
  a 
  con- 
  

   fusion 
  with 
  examples 
  of 
  B. 
  vulgaris 
  showing- 
  a 
  light 
  line 
  along 
  the 
  spine. 
  

  

  