ilANA. 



gradually becomes obliterated, and the animals leave the 

 water, and betake themfclvcs to the furface of tlic ground. 

 This generally iiappens early in the autumn, at which period 

 it is not uncommon to find fucti numbers of the young ani- 

 mals in fomc particular places, that their appearance has fre- 

 quently given rife to the vulgar idea of their having been 

 ihowered from the clouds. 



The toad is an animal too well known to require any very 

 particular dcfcription of its form. It may be necelfary to 

 obferve, that it is always covered by tubercles, or eleva- 

 tions on the fkin, of larger or fmaller fiae in different in- 

 dividuals, and that the general colour of the animal is an 

 obfcure brown above, much paler and irregularly fpotted 

 beneath. The toad, however, is occafionally found of an 

 olive caft, with darker variegations ; and in fome fpeci- 

 mens, more efpecially in the earlieil part of fummer, the 

 (houlders and hmbs are marked with rcddiih fpots, while a 

 tinge of yellow often pervades the under parts both of the 

 limbs and body. 



The toad arrives at a confiderable age ; its general term 

 of life being luppofed to extend to fifteen, or even twenty- 

 years ; and Mr. Pennant, in his Britifh Zoology, gives us 

 a curious account, communicated by Mr. Arfcott, of Teholt, 

 in Devonfhire, of a toad's having lived, in a kind of do- 

 meilic ftate, for the fpace of more than forty years, and 

 of having been, in a great degree, tamed, or reclaimed from 

 its natural Ihynefs or defire of concealm.ent ; fince it would 

 always regularly come out of its hole at the approach of its 

 mailer, &c. in order to be fed. It grew to a very large 

 fize, and was confidered as fo fingnlar a curiofity, that even 

 ladies, laying afide their ufual avcrfion and prejudices, re- 

 quelted to fee the favourite toad. It was, therefore, often 

 brought to table, and fed with various infefts, which it 

 feized with great avidity, and without feeming to be em- 

 barrafled by the prefence of company. This extraordinary 

 animal generally refided in a hole beneath the fteps of the 

 houfe door, fronting the garden ; and might probably have 

 furvived many years longer, had it not been feverely 

 wounded by a raven, which feized it before it could take 

 refuge in its hole, and notwithilanding it was liberated 

 from its captor, it never again enjoyed its ufual health, 

 though it continued to live above a year after the accident 

 happened. 



The toad is looked upon with great averfion by the major 

 part of mankind,'and it muft be confefTed, that its appearance 

 is difgulting, yet the eyes are i-emarkably beautiful, being 

 furrounded by a reddifli gold -coloured irib, the pupil, when 

 in a Itate of contraction, appearing tranfverfe. 



We (hall conclude the hiftory of this animal, with m.en- 

 tioning the very extraordinary circumitance of its having 

 been occafionally difcovered inclofed, or imbedded, without 

 any vifibte outlet, or even any paiiage for air, in the fub- 

 ftance of wood, and even in that of ftone or blocks of marble. 

 " For my own part," fays Dr. Shaw, " I have no hefitation 

 in avowing a very high degree of fcepticifm as to tliefe fup- 

 pofed fafts, and in exprefiing iriy fufpicions that proper at- 

 tention, in inch cafes, was not paid to the real fituation of 

 the animal. That a toad may have occafionally latibulized 

 in fome part of a tree, and have been in fome degree over- 

 taken or inclofed by the growth of the wood, fo as to be 

 obliged to continue in that fituation, without being able to 

 efFeft its efcape, may perhaps be granted : but it would 

 probably continue to live fo long only as there remained 

 a paflage for air, and for the ingrefs of infefts, &c. on 

 which it m.ight occafionally feed : but that it fliould be 

 completely blocked up in any kind of ftor.e or marble, with- 

 out either food or air, appears entirely incredible, and the 



general run of fuch accounts muft be received with a great 

 many grains of allowance for the natural love of the marvel- 

 lous, the lurprize excited by the fudden appearance of the 

 animal in an unfufpefted place, and tiio confequent negle£t 

 of minute attention at the moment, to the furrounding parts 

 of the fpot where it was difcovered." 



*RuBETA;"the Natterjack. Of this the vent is ob- 

 tufe ; and it has a yellow line on the back ; the body beneath 

 is fpotted with black, but above it is of a dirty yellow, 

 clouded with brown, and covered with porous pimples of 

 unequal fizes. This fpecies frequents dry and fandy places, 

 and is found on Putney Common, and near Reevefby-Abbcy 

 in Lincolnlhire, where it derives its trivial name. It never 

 leaps, neither does it crawl, with the flow pace of a toad, 

 but its motion is more like running. Several are frequently 

 found together, and like others of the genus they appear in 

 the evening. 



GiBBOSA ; Gibbous Toad. Body oval, convex, with a 

 longitudinal cinereous dentate band. A variety has its back 

 marbled with red and yellowiifli-afli ; the belly is yellow, 

 fpotted with black. The firll is found in divers parts of 

 India, the fecond at Surinam. 



BoMBiNA ; Laughing Toad. Belly orange, fpotted with 

 (l<y-blue ; the pupil is triangular. Gmelin gives three varie- 

 ties of this fpecies ; -viz. I. That which is diftinguilhed 

 with a black belly, marked with clear white fpotsand points. 

 2. One which is brown with white fpots ; the fides and 

 round the joints are red. 3. One which is diftinguilhed for 

 its loud fonorous voice. It is found in the fenny parts of 

 Germany and Helvetia ; leaps like a frog ; emits a clear 

 found like a man laughing : it a good deal refembles the com- 

 mon toad, but is fmall, black, and every where rough, v\ith 

 dots on the upper part, and variegated beneath, with tranf- 

 verfe wrinkles under the neck. 



Salsa ; Salt Toad. Above of a dirty olive colour, but 

 beneath it is white, fpotted with black. This fpecies is found 

 in the ttagnant waters of Berchtefgad, and is lefs than the 

 R. arborca, hereafter to be noticed ; it avoids the light, is 

 inodorous, and emits no liquid from its minute perforated 

 Avarts : the legs are marked with brown bands, beneath it is 

 yellow. 



Ventricosa ; Tumid Toad. The mouth of this is femi- 

 ovate, and the throat ovate. A variety is marked with pale 

 white puftules. It is found in South America, and in fome 

 parts of India. The body is brown and orbicular ; the tu- 

 bercles on the top of the neck longitudinally difpofed ; the 

 back has three longitudinal wrinkles ; the flanks are tumid 

 and dilated. 



Marina ; Marine Toad. Shoulders tumid ; eye-lids 

 warty, conchate ; the hind feet ar.- lubpalmate : there is a 

 variety, which is Ipotted with brown ; beneath it is Ihaded 

 with livid, the neck and fhoulders are fpotted with grey. 

 This is found in various parts of America, and is more than 

 fix inches long. Its body is yellowini-grey, with a few 

 rather tawny fpots : the warts are dillinguifhed with an ele- 

 vated bay fpot in the middle : the protuberances of the 

 fhoulders are oval, fmooth, and porous ; the vent is fur- 

 rounded with wrinkled radii ; the hind toes are connefted 

 only as far as the firft joint, the lalf joint is fringed with a 

 bay membrane. 



Brasiliensis ; Brafil Toad. Yellowifh-afh, with red 

 waved fpots, beneath fmooth. 



Arunco ; Chili Toad. All the feet of this ipecies are 

 palmate. It inhabits, as its name imports, the waters of 

 Chili : in its fize it refembles the R. temporaria defcribcd 

 below : on the hind toes there is a flight appearance of 

 claws. 



LUTEA ; 



