. Reptiles and birds : a popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting . a number of pus-tules or warts. A thick and hard skin covers a flat back: its larsrebelly always appears to be swollen; the head a little broader thanthe rest of its body; the mouth and the eyes are large and pro-minent. It lives chiefly at the bottom of ditches, especially those 26 BATRACHIANS. where stagnant and corrupt water has lain a long time. It is foundin dung heaps, caves, and in dark and damp parts of woods. Onehas often been disagreeably surprised on
. Reptiles and birds : a popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting . a number of pus-tules or warts. A thick and hard skin covers a flat back: its larsrebelly always appears to be swollen; the head a little broader thanthe rest of its body; the mouth and the eyes are large and pro-minent. It lives chiefly at the bottom of ditches, especially those 26 BATRACHIANS. where stagnant and corrupt water has lain a long time. It is foundin dung heaps, caves, and in dark and damp parts of woods. Onehas often been disagreeably surprised on raising some great stoneto discover a Toad cowering against the earth, frightful to see,but timorous, seeking to avoid the notice of strangers. It is inthese different obscure and sometimes foetid places of refuge thatthe Toad shuts itself up during the day; going out in the evening,when our common species moves by slight hops; whilst another,the Natterjack Toad, Bufo calamita, only crawls, though some-what fastl3^ When seized, it voids into the hand a quantity oflimpid water imbibed through the pores of its skin ; but if more. ^^s:^My Fig. 7.—The Common Toad {Bufo vulgaris). ^ irritated, a milky and venomous humour issues from the glandsof its back. One peculiarity of its structure offers a defence from outwardattacks. Its very extensible skin adheres feebl}^ to the muscles,and at the will of the animal a large quantity of air entersbetween this integument and the flesh, which distends the body,and fills the vacant space with an elastic bed of gas, by means ofwhich it is less sensible to blows. Toads feed upon insects, worms,and small mollusks. In fine evenings, at certain seasons especially,they may be heard uttering a plaintive monotonous sound. Theyassemble in ponds, or even in simple puddles of water, where they TOADS. 21 breed and deposit their eggs. When hatched, the young Toads gothrough the same metamorphosis as do the tadpoles of the Frogs. Their simple lives, thou
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecad, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectreptiles
