ON THE TOAD. 501 



" when I found an innumerable swarm of 

 " winged ants had dropped round his hole, 

 " which temptation was as irresistible as a 

 " turtle w r ould be to a luxurious alderman. 



" Fifthly, Whether our toad ever propagated 

 " its species I know not, rather think not, as 

 " it always appeared well, and not lessened in 

 " bulk, which it must have done, I should 

 " think, if it had discharged so large a quan- 

 " tity of spawn as toads generally do. The 

 " females that are to propagate in the spring, 

 u I imagine, instead of retiring to dry holes, 

 " go into the bottom of ponds, and lay torpid 

 " among the weeds ; for to my great surprize 

 " in the middle of the winter, having for amuse- 

 " ment put a long pole into my pond, and twisted 

 " it till it had gathered a large volume of weed, 

 " on taking it off I found many toads, and 

 " having cut some asunder with my knife, by 

 " accident, to get off the weed, found them full 

 " of spawn not thoroughly formed. I am not 

 " positive, but think there were a few males 

 " in March: I know there are thirty males* to 

 " one female, twelve or fourteen of whom I have 

 " often seen clinging round a female : I have 



* Mr. John Hunter has assured me, that during his residence 

 at Belkisle, he dissected some hundreds of toads, yet never met 

 with a single female among them. 



