Reptiles. 8611 



in the same pond. That was my last visit to the locality. At the end of last month 

 I spent a few days in Herefordshire, and near the village of Letton, about twelve miles 

 from Hereford, I again had the satisfaction of seeing L. palmipes in abundance, 

 although, so far as I could ascertain, they were confined to one pond. In this case, 

 as well as at Dartmouth, L. palmipes was the only species to be found. I have sent 

 a number of these little animals to the Zoological Gardens, and at the last meeting of 

 the Zoological Society this species was exhibited in company with our L. punctatns 

 and Triton cristatus, as well as with T. alpestris from Germany. The habits of L. 

 palmipes do not apparently differ from those of L. punclatus. The males show the 

 same lateral curvature of the tail, with a rapid vibration of its lash-like extremity 

 during the love season. The females are now full of spawn. The slough of this 

 species is cast entire, and, in most cases, at once swallowed by the owner. — E. W. H. 

 Holdsworlh; 18, Osnaburgh Street. 



Toads in the Hole: — Sir A. P. Gordon dimming writes to the 'Elgin Courier' :— 

 "In cutting the Inverness and Perth Railway through Lochnavandah Park, on Altyre, 

 we have unceremoniously trespassed on the privacy and retirement of a numerous 

 colony of ancient toads. The cutting is here from twenty to twenty-five feet deep, the 

 lower part being through from ten to sixteen feet of freestone and red conglomerate. The 

 interesting old residents are found in the red freestone about fifteen to twenty feet below 

 the surface, where they certainly must have seen several nineteen years' leases out on 

 the land above them. They are sometimes turned out by the heavy hand-pick or the 

 great iron crowbar ; but a blast of powder, of which a vast amount is here expended, 

 seems to cause the greatest upset hi the establishment, as a shot is sometimes the 

 means of exposing as many as a dozen sleepy old fellows. They seem none the worse 

 for their long repose, but after giving a few winks at the new light thus suddenly let 

 in upon them, and taking several gasps of the unwonted air, they leisurely and deli- 

 berately proceed to hop and crawl down the line along the small watercourse towards 

 the lower fields. I have seen them in numbers, and some of the men have counted 

 above forty at once." — Scotsman. 



Toads in a Hole. — A short time ago you quoted a letter written by me to the 

 editor of the ' Elgin Courier,' in which I mentioned the discovery of living toads in 

 making a railway cutting through rocks near Altyre. As many of my friends have 

 questioned the authenticity of the signature, will you allow me to avow myself to be 

 the writer, and in confirmation of my statements to forward the enclosed extract from 

 the ' Forres Gazette'? The ground under which these living toads are found consists 

 of two feel of black soil, from six to twelve feet of water-worn gravel, and four to eight 

 feet of hard sandstone, all resting upon a bed of red conglomerate. While inspecting 

 the railway works I have myself seen numbers of living toads taken out of the con- 

 glomerate at depths of from fifteen to twenty-four feet from the surface. An extensive 

 and seemingly unbroken bed of rock covers the stratum in which these living toads 

 are found. In sloping the sides of the cutting to one-and-a-half in one, we may 

 anticipate a further release of prisoners. I shall be glad if any scientific person will 

 account for the pre»enee of living creatures in such a position. — Alexander P. Gordon 

 Cummin g ; 7. Park Street, May 18. 



" Toads in Rock. — The ' Forres Gazette,' referring to a letter from Sir Alexander 



Gordon Cumtning, of Altyre, which appeared in the 'Courier' some time ago, 



regarding the discovery of a number of toads found in a rock on the estate of Altyre, 



says: — 'This fact was further confirmed last week by an examination of the men 



VOL. XXI. 2 u 



