Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 8, ELE-FOR

hap. I. E R P E T
loads, form. Indeed it is fo large, that in the vicinity of the
--y—- places where it is found, it is employed as food by the
country people, who confider it as a kind of filh. It
feems alfo to be one of the moft voracious tadpoles.
The alliaceous toad, contrary to the habits of the
common toad, remains almoll conftantly in water,
and but very rarely appears on land. It is alfo more
lively and aftive in its nature, and its motions are per¬
formed by a kind of leaping, rather than by the crawl¬
ing fluggifh pace of the latter.
32, Rana Mephitic a, Mephitic Toad.
Specif. Char.—Colour olive, fpotted with drown ; warts
on the Ikin reddifh ; dorfal line fulphur-coloured.
Excepting in the colour, and being of a fmaller fize,
this fpecies greatly relembles the common toad. The
body and limbs are fhnrt and thick ; the fore feet are
furnilhed beneath with a pair of bony proceffes, by
means of which it is enabled to climb up the tides of
walls. The hind feet have no webbed ftruffure. In
its motions it runs fomewhat like a moufe. It comes
out only in the night, from the cavities of walls and
rocks, where it conceals itlelf by day.
This fpeeies is a native of Germany, in fome parts of
which it is known by the name of roerhiing, or reed
frog, becaufe in the fpring it frequents places which are
overgrown with reeds. At this feafon, too, it is w-ell
known by the ftrong and peculiar note or croak which
it utters.
In the month of June, when this fpecies breeds, it
reforts to the water, to depofit its ova. Thefe are emit¬
ted, as is the cafe with the common toad, in double
rows, in a pair of long glutinous ilrings ; and fo rapid
is the progrefs of hatching, that the tadpoles appear in
the fpace of five or fix days, having feparated themfelves
from the fpawn. The hind legs appear about the end
of Auguft, are foon fucceeded by the fore legs, and by
• September or O&ober the animal has affumed its com¬
plete form.
The mephitic toad has derived its name from a moll
ofFenfive fmell which it diffufes when it is irritated. This
odour proceeds from a white acrid tluid which exfudes
from the pores of the Ikin. The animal has the power
of emitting this fluid to the diftance of three or four
feet, and it is faid that if it fall on any part of the room
where the animal is kept, it wull fcarcely be entirely
difiipated for two months afterwards. This odour re-
fembles the fmoke of gunpowder, but is eonfiderably
ftronger j or that of the fumes of arfenic.
Var. The natter-jack of Pennant is, according to
fome, a variety of the above fpecies. It is not, how¬
ever, faid, that, like the mephitic toad, it emits any
peculiarly ofFenfive odour; but its running motions
bear, a near refemblance ; for it does not leap, nor
does it crawl with the fluggifh pace of the common toad.
It is a native of England, and is found in Pul-
teney common, and near Reevefley abbey in Lincoln-
fliire, frequenting dry and fandy places.
33. Rana Viridis, Green Toad.
Specif. Char.—Colour pale, varied w ith greenifh fpots j
tubercles reddifh. Rana variability Linn.
In this fpecies the green fpots or patches are bounded
4
O L O G Y. 287
with a black’ih margin, and the whole has fomewhat of Toads,
the appearance of a map. The fpots on the kgs and ‘lJ
thighs are tranfverfe, forming a kind of bars ) the eyes
are remarkable for a be autiful golden colour, and w'hen
the animal is irritated, feem to emit a kind of phofpho-
ric light.
'This fpecies is a native of Germany and other parts
of Europe, and is not unfrequently found about Vienna,
where it inhabits the cavities of walls.
Ibis fpecies, like the mephitic toad, emits a very
flrong odour, which relembles that of garden night-
fhade. It is fo powerful, that it difFufes itfelf through
a large room.
During the breeding feafon this fpecies frequents the
waters, and in winter it retires under ground. Its
croaking is faid to referable the creaking of the hinge
of a door. It would appear, that the fluid which ex¬
fudes from the fkin of this toad, and probably alfo from
that of others, is poifonous to fmall animals ; for it is
faid that the fmaller kinds of the gray lizard, on biting
this toad, became immediately ftrongly convulfed, and
died in a few minutes.
34. Rana Marina, Marine Toad.
Specif. Char—Colour yellowifh brown, with a large
porous prominence over each Ihoulder 5 very large -
fize.
This fpecies even exceeds the bull frog in fize. On
each fhoulder there is a protuberance of a light-brown
colour, which is marked with many pores. Thefe
are the parotid glands, which are peculiarly conlpicu-
ous. The feet have no webs, and there are four
toes on the fore feet, and five on the hind. The
toes are furnifhed with claw's, fomewhat refembling the
human hair. There are fome tubercles at the extremi¬
ty of the body, which are faid to be owing to the fold¬
ing of the fkin, when the animal is placed in a particu¬
lar attitude 5 for thefe difappear when the attitude is
changed.
I iris fpecies is faid to be a native of America ; and, ac¬
cording to fome, is calculated to live both by land and fed.
35. Rana Dubia, Doubtful Toad.
Specif. Char.—Colour yellowifh browrn, wrarty, having
a large porous prominence over each fhoulder $ hind
feet fubpalmated and fubhexadadfyle.
In fize this fpecies comes near that of the common
toad ; but it is different in fhape, as it tapers from the
fhoulders to the hind legs like the tree frogs. The up¬
per furface of the body is covered with oval tubercles,
and there are protuberances on the fhoulders like the
rana marina. The under parts of the body are alio be-
fet with fmaller tubercles. The joints of the toes of
the fore feet are tuberculated beneath, and there are
two remarkable protuberances under the foot.
Of the native country of this fpecies, or of its man¬
ners and habits, nothing is yet known.
36. Rana Typhonia, Mitred Toad.
Specif. Char.—Colour brown, dorfal line whitifh ; head
triangular.
This fpecies is about the fize of the common toad ;
the