or four feet in length, inclosing the eggs in a double row throughout. These have the appearance of so many jet-black globules; they are, however nothing more than the larva or tadpoles lying in a globular form, which break from their confinement in about a fortnight, and afterwards undergo changes similar to the tadpoles of the frog. They become complete towards the beginning of autumn, about which time, the young animals are frequently to be. seen in a moist summer's evening, crawling up, by myriads, from' fenny places into situations, somewhat more dry. There, having found out a retreat, or each having formed one for itself," they lead a solitary life, seldom - venturing abroad except in moist evenings. At this period of the year, they have a sufficient supply of food, in the snails and worms with which the grass and pathways are then covered.

When it is irritated, the Toad emits from' various parts of its skin, a kind of frothy fluid, which, in our climate, produces no further unpleasant symptoms than slight inflammation, from its weakly acrimonious nature. Dogs, on seizing these animals, appear to be effected with a slight swelling in their mouth, accompanied by an increased discharge of saliva. The limpid fluid which the Toad suddenly ejects from his body, when disturbed, has been ascertained to be perfectly free from any noxious qualities what-ever. It is merely a watery liquor, the contents

of a peculiar reservoir, that, in case of alarm, appears to be emptied in order to lighten the body, that the animal may the more readily escape. It is its forbidding aspect only that has obtained for the Toad its present unjust character of being a dangerously poisonous animal. It is persecuted and murdered wherever it appears, on the supposition merely that because, it is ugly, it must in consequence be venemous. Its eyes are, however, proverbially beautiful, having a brilliant, reddish, gold-coloured iris surrounding the dark pupil, and forming a strik ing contrast with the remainder of its body.

It is no difficult task, singular as it may appear to those who have never attended to this animal, to render it so tame, that it may be taken up into the hand, and carried about a room to catch the flies that alight on the walls, as we have already mentioned in the account of the Tree-Frog. A correspondent of Mr. Pennant supplied him with some curious particulars respecting a domestic Toad, which contined in the same place for upwards of thirty-six years. It frequented the steps before the hall-door of a gentleman's house in Devonshire. By being constantly fed, it was rendered so tame as always to come out of its hole in an evening when a candle was brought, and to look up, as if expecting to be carried into the house, where it was frequently fed with insects. It appeared most partial to flesh maggots, which were kept for

it in bran. It would follow them on the table, and, when within a proper distance, would fix its eyes and remain motionless for a little while, apparently to prepare for the stroke, which was instantaneous. It threw out its tongue to a great distance, and the insect, stuck by the glutinous matter to its tip, was swallowed by a motion quicker than the eye could follow. After being kept above thirty-six years, it was at. length destroyed by a tame raven, which one day, seeing it at the month of its hole, pulled it out, and so wounded it, that it died in conse. quence.

Like the rest of the animals of its tribe, the Toad becomes torpid towards the conclusion of the autumn, and remains só during all the winter months. The place of its retreat, is either in the cleft of some rock, under the hollow root of a tree, or amongst the mud at the bottom of stagnant pools.

Of the Toad we have a property recorded, more astonishing than what was mentioned of most other animals, that of continuing alive for centuries, enclosed in solid substances. Although we should always be very slow' in yielding our belief to what appears marvellous, we have too many respectable authorities for the fact, and too frequent instances of its recurrence, to allow us to doubt its truth.

The following are a few of the best authenticated of these In the year 1719, M. Hubert,

Professor of Philosophy at Caen, was witness to a living toad being taken from the solid trunk of an elm tree. It was lodged exactly in the centre, and filled the whole of the space that contained it. The tree was, in every other respect, perfectly firm and sound. Dr. Bradley saw a Toad taken from the trunk of a large oak.-In the year 1733, a living Toad was discovered by M. Graburg, in a hard and solid block of stone, which had been dug up in a quarry in Gothland. On being touched with a stick upon the head, he informs us that it contracted its eyes, as if asleep, and, when the stick was removed, gradually opened them. Its mouth had no aperture, but was closed round by a yellowish skin. On being pressed with a stick on the back, a small quantity of clear water issued from behind, and it immediately died. A living Toad was found in a block of marble at an old castle belonging to Lord Tankerville, twelve miles from Alnwick, in Northumberland.-A stone cutter, of the name of Charlton, found in the Isle of Ely, a living Toad, enclosed in a block of marble. The cavity in which it was contained, was somewhat larger than, but nearly of the figure of, the animal. The Toad seemed in perfect health, although the marble was, on all sides, several inches thick.

There is a kind of Toad called the Pipa, or Surinam Toad, which is too strange a creature not to require a particular notice. It is considerably larger than the common Toad, has a