Reptiles. 



8007 



I'd got him: but not a bit of it! Drowning seemed to be quite a joke ; so after 

 keeping bim under water for three hours and a half, and finding that it only bad the 

 effect of making him rather drowsy, I took him out again, and in two minutes after- 

 wards he was as lively and as fierce as ever. One would suppose that these strange 

 creatures were partially aquatic in their mode of living ; and yet it appears that they 

 are always found in hot, dusty places. I have only seen two or three since my arrU 

 val, and they were lying in the thick dust of the road. As to the individual in 

 question, as a last resource I jammed him (poor fellow !) head foremost into a pickle- 

 bottle, and filled it up with strong whiskey ; so that, however inhuman the proceeding 

 may appear, I have nevertheless the satisfaction of knowing that he died in the best 

 of spirits." A somewhat similar attempt to drown an iguana is related by Mr. 

 Darwin ; but this one, if I remember rightly, was a South American species of well- 

 known aquatic habits. — Henry L. Saxby ; 54, Gilmore Place, Edinburgh, March 3. 



A Living Frog found in Coal. — The following is an extract from a letter received 

 on Wednesday last in this city, by Mr. John Russell, from the manager of his Tyr 

 Nicholas Colliery, Cwm Tylery, near Newport: — " Our men in the heading in the 

 rock-vein coal yesterday (March 10), in a fall of coal in the face of the heading, found, 

 in a bole in the pricking, in the top of the coal and in the nine-inch bed of coal, a 

 live frog. The hole was not more 3£ inches in diameter, and this found in the soft 

 holing. There is a slight hollow over the coal where it was found. It began moving 

 about as soon as it was released, but seems larger and more lively to-d.;y. It is kept 

 shut up in clay to exclude the air from it. Now this is two hundred yards below the 

 surface where this little thing was found, and I do not suppose any one can form an 

 idea how long it must have been there. I intend having it kept for you when you 

 return." — (Signed), L. W. Rees. [Mr. Russell is going to send to the Great Exhi- 

 bition a block of coal between seven and eight feet lorn:, selecting the piece in which 

 the frog was found, the locus in quo being exactly in the centre, and the block will be 

 so cut that the frog and its strange domicile will be clearly shown in front.] — 

 Worcestershire Chronicle. 



Life-sustaining Power of the Toad. — On the 17th of this month, while engaged in 

 superintending the delivery of a cargo of coals, on board the ' Vulture' screw steamer, 

 from Newcastle, I was surprised at witnessing in one of the baskets a large toad, to 

 all appearance dead : this occurred when about 150 tons of the cargo had been 

 weighed, so that the pressure upon the animal in the hold of the ship must have been 

 immense. It was of course very much compressed ; but on placing it down by my 

 side, my astonishment was increased, after a few minutes, when, after the gradual 

 inflation of the lungs, the animal made a slight spring forward, and ultimately 

 became as lively as though nothing had occurred prejudicial to its existence. I 

 inquired of the mate of the vessel whether there was a probability of any one on 

 board having thrown it into the hold, and he assured me that it must have been 

 brought with the coals out of the pit. — H. Davey ; 1^, Bridge Street East, Mile End, 

 March 20, 1862. 



Incubation of the Python. — The eggs of the python have proved to be bad. 

 Dr. Gunlher has examined some of them, and thinks they were impregnated, but they 

 were in such a state of decomposition inside that it is difficult to say positively. 

 After six weeks' incubation the snake came off her eggs to change her skin ; she was 

 away from them the whole nigbt. Under these circumstances the experiment is in- 

 complete, but as there was an increase of temperature in the snake of at least 9° 



