194 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



differentiated from the body, and the gills, which are very minute, instead of 

 projecting laterally, seem to be behind the head, rather than at the sides. 

 The appearance of the neck is distinctive of the toad tadpole during the first 

 week of its existence, but about the ninth day the external gills disap- 

 pear, and the form approximates to that of the frog, from which it can only 

 be subsequently distinguished by its uniform colour, without any markings 

 whatever. Its habits and food are similar to those of the frog. The spawn 

 is usually deposited about the middle of April, and where I found tadpoles 

 with hind legs fully developed on the 9th July, 1887, the fore legs appeared 

 six days afterwards. The remarks about the less rapid development of the 

 frog tadpoles in captivity, owing to the ■ deficiency of appropriate food, apply 

 equally to those of the toad. 



Those tadpoles with all the legs developed before the end of June had 

 probably been laid a fortnight later than those, which, in captivity, had only 

 developed their fore legs three weeks later. 



As soon as the fore legs are sufficiently developed for use, the tadpoles 

 begin to leave the water ; in three days the tail is absorbed, and the animal 

 has assumed its adult form, and is f inch long. 



It arrives at maturity in the fourth or fifth year, and lives to the age of 

 about 15 years. 



Before considering the general habits of Bufo vulgaris, we will describe its 

 colours and markings. 



The ground colour is generally dark brown, varying to grey; but sometimes 

 dark greenish grey or yellowish brown, marked with dark brown spots ; these 

 sometimes run in broken bands down the back, and the body is covered with 

 reddish brown tubercles, which are larger on the back, but more numerous 

 on the ventral surfaces, which is greyish green, speckled all over with brown. 

 As in frogs, we will describe a typical pair which have just bred. 



The female is dark brown, with black spots distributed all over the dorsal 

 surface. The body covered with reddish brown tubercles, larger on the head, 

 with two large glands behind the eyes. The ventral surface is greyish green, 

 spotted with brown ; more so on the hind legs and feet. The length of the 

 body is 3J inches; the hind leg 3 inches when extended, the hind feet being 

 palmated. The fore leg 1 \ inches long, with toes free of web. The eyes are 

 very prominent, the horizontal pupils being black with gold coloured 

 rims. 



The ground colour of the male is dirty olive yellow, the markings being 

 similar to those of the female. The length of the body is %\ inches, the hind 

 leg 3 inches, the fore leg \\ inches. The fore feet are free, whilst the hind 

 feet are palmated. It possesses a sucker on the first three fingers of each 



