NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 
39 
The Toad. — As an evidence of the extraordinary mildness of the present 
winter, I noticed, on January 7, a large toad perambulating my garden path, 
apparently in search of a supper. The evening was very mild and wet. As an 
observer of reptile-life of many years’ standing, this is the first occasion <)n which 
I have seen our humble and useful friend pursuing his avocation in mid-winter. 
The frog, on the contrary, is frequently to be seen about in mild winters. On one 
occasion I saw a specimen of the latter on January 26. In this instance froggy 
was stretched stiff and frozen on the grass of an orchard, having evidently been 
tempted forth by a few genial days which had occurred beforehand. 
Fy field, Abingdon. Warner. 
Frogs in Rock. — I have often hearil stories of frogs being found embedded 
in rocks, and I have always been very sceptical aliout their truth ; but I have just 
had an experience that seems to throw some light on the question. We were 
sinking a shaft in our clay working, for getting clay for making encaustic tiles, 
and had to go through some rock. The men came across some frogs embedded 
alive therein. They were in pockets or holes of about three inches diameter, and 
I have portions of these domiciles quite smooth and round on the inside. The 
frogs were much smaller than they would have been in the normal state, not 
more than quarter full size, and of a bright yellow colour. The rock was about 
fifteen feet below the ground level. Now I have an idea that the frogs are of 
quite recent production. Over the place where the shaft was sunk there was a 
pool of water last spring and it no doubt contained tadpoles, and I think they 
found their way, when very young, down through the fine fissures (of which there 
were many) in the rock until they either found, or made, the chambers they 
inhabited, though how they got food is a mystery. I understand that frogs can 
imbibe through their skins double their weight of water. Is it not possible that 
they may abstract a small amount of nutriment from the organic matter contained 
in the water ? Is it not also possible that they may excrete an acid from the 
skin, that may have the power of dissolving the rock and so make the cavity? I 
have noticed that there is frequently a pool of water in quarries in the Spring, 
when frogs spawn, and think it more than likely that that explains the mystery 
belonging to the stories that are so universal about this subject. But on the 
other hand, it is strange that we found casts, or fossil deposits of old holes of 
about the same size as previously mentioned, which would seem to point to the 
idea of frogs having lived under similar circumstances, a great number of years 
ago, the holes being gradually filled up when they died. I have broken one or 
two through, but could find no trace of anything resembling the skeleton of a 
frog. Perhaps some other readers of N.ature Notes have had experience on 
this subject. F. Gibbons. 
Law Busk, Bret/ell Lane, Stourbridge. 
Locusts exterminated by Inoculation. — Can any reader give in- 
formation as to this, what is the fungus employed (if it be a fungus) and how it 
is employed ? The information is wanted for Argentina. 
The Sea Buckthorn. — Here, thirty miles from the sea-coast, the plant 
grows well, but has not at present borne any berries. Our original plants were 
raised from seeds obtained at Helder, in North Holland, where it grows profusely. 
We have since bought both male and female plants, the sea-buckthorn being 
dioecious, and hope to be rewarded by it bearing its handsome orange-red berries. 
It berries well at Kew, and there is a good coloured plate of it in vol. xlix. of 
“The Garden.” This journal also refers to it in its current number on page 10. 
I have seen it grow and berry well along the coast of Wigtownshire, where it has 
most probably been planted as a wind-break. 
Hodden Clough, Clitheroe. 
G. B. Milne-Redheai). 
