coat. Though he is partially aquatic, like all his kindred, his colors are more 

 particularly suited to the time when he is out of water, and when, no doubt, 

 he is in more danger of being snapped up by predators. On the other hand, 

 his coloration is to some extent 'chameleonic,' and interadaptable to various 

 environments. 



The common ground toads {Bujo) are more nearly terrestrial than any 

 of the frogs we have considered; but even they spend the breeding season 

 in the water. Characteristically, however, through the greater part of their 

 waking life, these toads are inhabitants of ground where there is exposed earth 

 or sand; and their coloration seems most closely to fit such spots. But it is 

 also well suited to dead-leaf-strewn ground, or any other sort of brown, mi- 

 nutely mottled earth surface. Founded on full obliterative shading, their 

 richly and delicately speckled picture-patterns, of various browns and grays 

 and duskies,* nearly approach the minute specialization of those worn by 

 goatsuckers and other ground birds. By far more sluggish than the mud 

 frogs (at least during the day — for they are nocturnal), and allowing enemies 

 to approach more closely, these toads are equipped, as one would expect, 

 with more highly finished obliterative coloration. Their warts — what- 

 ever may be their other uses — are effective agents in the background- 

 picturing. 



Cruder 'ruptive' patterns seem to be almost wholly wanting among batra- 

 chians, — or at least among the tailless batrachians of temperate North America 

 and Europe. 'Secant' patterns of various kinds occur among them (see 

 Chapter XIII, p. 78), but usually, or perhaps always, they are also definite 

 features of the picture pattern— looking like a grass-blade, or a stick, or a leaf- 

 edge, or a gleam on shiny mud. 



The tailed amphibians — newts, salamanders, axolotls, sirens, mud-pup- 

 pies, etc. — are lowlier than frogs and loads, not only in their general make-up 



*The common American toad {Bufo americanus) and the European "Natterjack" toad {Bujo 

 calamita) are good examples of this type. But not all ground toads are thus colored; witness the 

 Green toad (B. viridis) of continental Europe. 



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