126 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



fact, this quarry is one of the best " toader- 

 ies " for miles round, and it is also a capital 

 place for " warty 's" and "smooths" (newts). 

 Quarries, by the bye, should be frequently 

 visited by all out-door naturalists, whether 

 zoologists, entomologists, botanists or what 

 not. They are, in particular, capital places 

 in which to search for reptiles, those with 

 pools in them being, of course, the most 

 productive. Here the frogs, toads, and 

 newts breed and multiply. The naturalist 

 will find searching under the flat stones 

 lying about, very useful work during the 

 summer months. In the Berkshire quarry 

 now under notice I have found specimens 

 of the common frog, the toad, the natterjack, 

 the warty newt, the smooth newt, and the 

 pale variety of the latter, all at one time, 

 together with the eggs or tadpoles of most 

 of them. 



On the above day, when leaving the quar- 

 ries, I noticed a particularly active toad 

 cross my path. He didn't crawl or hop in 

 a lumbering way like the common garden- 

 toad, but ran in a most decided fashion, 

 with his body raised a little. He had none 

 of the heavy, bloated looks of the common 

 species, and his attire too was very different 

 for in addition to wearing a greenish-tinted 

 coat, he sported a bright yellow stripe right 

 down the middle of it. This was my first 

 introduction to that curious amphibian, the 

 natterjack ; but before I retraced my steps 

 homeward I had the pleasure of giving my 

 personal respects to other members of the 

 same distinguished family. 



In the following year I met with the 

 natterjack in abundance, and from obser- 

 vations made in the Berkshire quarry, the 

 chief of my notes on the habits of this toad 

 have been taken. The favourite haunts of 

 the natterjack are sand-fiats, heaths, 

 quarries, and other dry situations. 



Compared with the common species the 

 natterjack is decidedly a rare, or rather a 

 local toad, occuring chiefly in the eastern 



and southern counties. In some localities, 

 however, it is common, and when it does 

 occur it is generally in pretty numerous 

 colonies. It has been found in the following 

 English counties — Berks, Cambs, Cheshire, 

 Cumberland, Hants, Herts, Kent, Lincoln- 

 shire, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Surrey (I should 

 be glad of additions to this list.) In the 

 almost world-famed village of Selbourne 

 this species at one time was more common 

 than even Bufo vulgaris, but now, according 

 to a somewhat late edition of the famous 

 book, it has disappeared from the neigh- 

 bourhood altogether. In Ireland, this toad 

 has occured at Ross Bay and Castlemain 

 Bay, Connty Kerry. According to an 

 obliging Irish correspondent it is known in 

 Kerry as the "black frog." The same 

 gentleman also says, " St. Patrick did not 

 cross the bridge at Killorglin, but only gave 

 a blessing to the west, hence the reason of 

 the natterjack remaining." In explanation 

 of this it is said the patron saint of old Ire- 

 land once preached a famous " sarmin." 

 " That gave the snakes and toads a twist, 

 And banished all the varmin." 



The effect of this " sarmin " was it is popu- 

 larly supposed to exterminate the whole 

 race of reptiles from Ireland, but like many 

 other popular traditions it has no foundation 

 in fact, there being six or seven species of 

 reptiles found in the sister isle. In Scot- 

 land, the natterjack has been found in 

 abundance on the shores of the Solway 

 Firth. 



I have never seen the natterjack earlier 

 than the end of March. In May and June 

 it seeks the water, and in this element it dis- 

 plays great activity both as a swimmer and 

 diver. At this time the female (which is 

 heavier and more bloated than the male), 

 may often be seen with its head above the 

 water, and its forefeet resting on the weeds, 

 which seems to be a very favourite position 

 of the natterjack. The natterjack in the 

 water is a very different looking reptile from 



