411 
Natural History . — Zoology. 
er’s inspection in a very accurate delineation, which I made at 
Bushehr, from one of those creatures, just before it was consign- 
ed, with hundreds more, to the Arab cook ; and many of their 
real wings, perfectly preserved between the leaves of a book, are 
still in my collection. — Note. M. de Paw in his Recherches 
Philosophiques sur les Egyptiens et les Chinois, vol. i. p. 181, 
(Berl. 1778), alludes to a passage of Yarro, mentioning that 
the Roman fiamens abstained from eating beans, because their 
flowers contained infernal letters, and adds, “ ces lettres infer- 
nales sont les deux taches noires.” So the Chinese have discovered 
mystical letters in the lines on a tortoise’s back ; but Mr Bar- 
row, (China, p. $78), has completely dispelled the fancied 
mystery ; it is, says he, but the common school-boy trick of the 
magic square, or placing the nine digits, so that they shall make 
the sum of fifteen every way, 
f 2 9 4 
Thus : 1 7 5 8 
(618 Gore Ouseley’s Travels. 
41. Economy of the Toad (Rana Bufo). — “ The common 
food of the toad is small worms, and insects of every descrip- 
tion ; but its favourite food consists of Apis mellifica , A. conica , 
A. terrestris , and Vespa vulgaris. When a toad strikes any of 
these insects, however, deglutition does not immediately take 
place, as in other cases, but the mandibles remain closely com- 
pressed for a few seconds, in which time the bee or wasp is 
killed, and all danger of being stung avoided. The mandibles 
are provided with two protuberances, which appear to be des- 
tined for this office. Although capable of sustaining long absti- 
nence, the toad is a voracious feeder, when opportunity offers. 
To a middle-sized one, the writer has given nine wasps, one im- 
mediately after another ; the tenth it refused, but in the after- 
noon of the same day it took eight more. To see the toad 
display it's full energy of character, it is necessary to disco- 
ver it in its place of retirement for the day, and, if pos- 
sible, unperceived, to drop an insect within its sight : it imme- 
diately arouses from its apparent torpor, its beautiful eyes 
sparkle, it moves with alacrity to its prey, and assumes a degree 
of animation incompatible with its general sluggish appearance. 
When arrived at a proper distance, it makes a full stop, and, in 
