Page:Natural History, Reptiles.djvu/265

Rh of the Frog. It takes its food in the same manner, but refuses that which is not alive, and even in actual motion. It is sluggish in its motions, neither leaping nor running, its pace being a kind of crawl. On being alarmed, it stops, swells its body, and on its being handled, a portion of the acrid secretion exudes from the glands, and a quantity of pure water, alluded to in our account of the Frog, is suddenly discharged from the internal reservoir.

Like the other Amphibia, the Toad casts its skin at uncertain periods, after which its colours are much brighter than before. The outer skin divides in a line, extending down the middle of the back and of the belly, and is gradually pushed down in folds towards each side, until it is detached, when it is pushed by the two hands into the mouth in a ball, and swallowed at a single gulp. The hands are used in the same manner, to push into the mouth earthworms, which in their writhing, twist about the animal’s muzzle and head.

The Toad is more easily tamed than the Frog: Professor Bell mentions a very large one which would sit on one of his hands, and eat from the other; and Pennant in his “British Zoology” has immortalized a pet Toad of one of his correspondents in a narrative, which is interesting in another respect also, as shewing the great longevity of this Reptile.

“Concerning the Toad,” writes Mr. Arscott, “that lived so many years with us, and was so great a favourite, the greatest curiosity was its becoming so remarkably tame. It had frequented some steps before our hall door, some