THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



217 



As soon as they attain the adult form the dorsal stripe is visible, so that 

 this distinguishing feature is present in the youngest as in the oldest Natter- 

 jack. This toad seems to be widely distributed : and, where it occurs, is 

 generally found in considerable numbers ; being local rather than rare. It 

 casts its skin like the common toad, and also possesses the power of secreting 

 from its glands a slightly acrid fluid. It is, if possible, more terrestrial in its 

 habits, being able to withstand drought louger than Bufo vulgaris, and only 

 returns to the water for breeding purposes. 



When we consider the great fecundity of frogs and toads, we may well ask 

 what becomes of the millions of millions of young frogs and toads hatched 

 every season. All have a fair start in life, but are preyed upon by an im- 

 mence number of enemies, both in their aquatic and teirestrial states ; the 

 odds are so much against them that probably not more than one in a thousand 

 arrive at maturity. It was very different in the Permian era, when the 

 Batrachians were not a small and feeble folk, but were the lords and masters of 

 the earth, protected by dermal armour of considerable thickness. They sub- 

 sequently fell victims to the still more ferocious Sauropsidans of the Secondary 

 Epoch. Their armour was not so complete as that of their rivals and 

 conquerors, and of all the once great Batrachian family only the smaller ones, 

 which could easily hide themselves from the fury of their enemies, have sur- 

 vived and multiplied, and left us in their descendants, the representatives of 

 that ancient race, whose history has taught us so much, and which, if we 

 study it carefully, may teach us still more of the manner in which the highest 

 living forms have come into existence and may lead us to speculate on the 

 possible advent of still higher forms of life 



RE-DISCOVERY OF TORTRIX PICEANA. 



By JOHN E. ROBSON. 



We are indebted to our friend Mr. S. J. Capper, of Liverpool, for the know- 

 ledge that this insect, of which two British specimens only were known, had 

 been again met with. A month or so ago Mr. Capper (see his note p. 224), 

 called on Mr. Charles Gulliver, Eannor Enclosure, Brockenhurst, a collector 

 who disposes of his captures, and whom Mr. Capper had often urged to work 

 at the Tortrices and Tineina. Looking over his odds and ends, Mr. Capper 

 detected these specimens as unknown to him, Mr. Gulliver gave him three 

 of them, and on reaching home they were carefully examined and thought to 

 be Tortrix piceana, but as he had not seen that rarity, they were sent to Mr. 

 C. G. Barrett, who at once pronounced them such. 



