THE COMMON TOAD. 6$ 



in the corner pit, where, as usual, he had made a form, only his 

 head and bright eyes being visible above the mould. "Cwaugh," 

 he said, when I asked him how he came there; but too comfort- 

 able to stir, otherwise than to bend down his head at the accus- 

 tomed greeting. He seemed to be growing quite friendly, and to 

 accept of these familiarities ; but one day, when he was perambu- 

 lating the place, and I stooped down to pat him, he submitted for 

 a time, then suddenly, as with a purpose, turned completely 

 round and made for the pit, as if he had said, " I've had enough 

 of this." Never before had he moved with such celerity and 

 decision ; and when he reached the corner, instead of facing 

 about as usual, he looked straight up the wall, not stopping to 

 deliberate, but, to my amazement, having made sure of the spot, 

 beginning to climb. The two walls, at right angles, had no 

 prominences to lay hold of; but no chimney-sweep in the ante- 

 broom days could have proceeded more systematically, arms and 

 legs, elbows and knees, pressed alternately against the two sides, 

 and thus sustaining his heavy body as up he went, a difficult feat 

 and a wonderful performance. Fourteen or more inches of ascent 

 he made without once slipping, and with evident acquaintance 

 with the place. Reaching a part where a branch of vine let 

 through from outside had left a very slight chink, he, without 

 pause, turned sideways, and began to edge himself through, the 

 whole transaction exhibiting purpose, memory, and the result of 

 experience. This, then, was his private exit and entrance, but 

 how he had discovered the chink was a marvel. Only sideways 

 and by hard squeezing could he get through, but the achievement 

 was that of an expert. Probably he had made use of it for noc- 

 turnal expeditions, for his method of proceeding on this occasion 

 was with foreknowledge and facility. Outside he simply tumbled 

 headlong on to the flower-border ; and to get back he had two 

 feet of wall to surmount, a feat one did not happen to witness. 

 That the chink in the wall was wide enough to admit the toad 

 or within his reach never occurred to one, or that he could 

 have climbed up the bare wall to explore it. Being just over 

 his usual lair, the draught of air must have made him conscious 

 of an exit ; that is the only solution to the mystery. Boulenger 

 describes the toes of Bufo vulgaris as having double sub-articular 

 tubercles, and these no doubt assist in clinging ; but the pressure 

 of knees and elbows against the wall was very evident, and doubt- 

 less the principal means of ascent. On the approach of the 

 winter the chink was stopped up, when he would sit and stare up 

 at it, conscious of something different, but never attempting to 

 climb any more. 



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