232 The Natterjack Toad in Ireland. 



on to say, that Mr. Andrews in his ramble in Kerry had spent 

 some time with him at Lack and Killorglin. " In one of our 

 excursions," he continues, " on a salt marsh on Rosbegh Point, 

 we found the first toad [the place marked by a red dot on my 

 map] — at least the first which was known to be such in that 

 part of the country. Mr. Andrews told me that the late Mr. 

 Thompson of Belfast, who was a naturalist of great research, 

 had mentioned the existence of toads in Kerry as far back as 

 1805 ; but the best informed of the people of Kerry at the 

 time I speak of — 1841* — did not know of their existence, as 

 the country people called them ' Black frogs/ 



" The species I am now describing is the natterjack toad ; 

 you will see its specific character, as known in England, de- 

 scribed fully in Bell's History of British Reptiles, published in 

 1849 ; but Mr. Bell was not then aware of this species being 

 found in Ireland. The natterjack toad is never found in 

 those localities I have mentioned more than a quarter of a mile 

 from the sea-shore ; but all round the harbour of Castleinaine, 

 which you may see is of considerable extent, they are exceed- 

 ingly numerous, and from the month of April until September 

 they could be gathered in dozens, as they go forth creeping, or 

 rather running from one locality to another ; they make a whir- 

 ring noise during the evening and night, when some thousands 

 of throats are employed at once, and which I have heard on a calm 

 night more than two miles at sea." Mr. Townsend adds, that on 

 one occasion ho removed a few dozens of them to a coastguard 

 station, north-east of Dingle, that is to say, some miles west of 

 Inch Point, and though he remained there twelve months, he 

 never could trace one of them, although the soil he selected for 

 them was exactly like that from which he took them. 



The simultaneous disappearance and power of conceal- 

 ment exemplified by these toads, correspond closely with 

 some anecdotes given by Mr. Couch in the Intellectual 

 Observer for September, 18G3 ; and their aptitude for escaping, 

 which Mr. Couch narrates, was proved, I much regret to say, 

 by the little natterjack whoso likeness heads this article. It 

 buried itself in November in a mixtui'o of sand and peat (or as 

 we say, turf-mould) which I had carefully prepared for it in a 

 wooden box, over which tho hand-frarao was placed, the corners 

 of the box being, as I thought, securely stuffed with moss, 

 wedged down with pieoei of sl.it o. Nevertheless it escaped; 

 for when its non-appearance in spring caused me to mako a 

 regular search for it, first in (lie box, and then in the whole 

 room, I had tho vexation of finding it dead and dried to a 

 mummy in a distant corner. 



* 1840 in Mr. Townsend's letter ; but the newspaper appears to fix the date 

 in the following year. 





