History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

Euro. REPTILES. BATRACHIA. 159ponds. The tadpoles are gregarious until they acquire the adult tonus, whenthey quit the water, only returning to it occasionaDy.10. R. esculenta. Edible Frog.— Middle of the back with aprotuberance; sides, margined.Linn. Syst.i. 257- Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. 13— IV, Llvffant melyn cefhgrwm Not so common as the preceding.Muzzle pointed. Body narrow behind, arched as if broken across- Above,green, with three longitudinal yellow lines ; the middle one sunk ; the lateralones elevated. Below whitish, with black spots. Fore-feet with four dividedtoes ;the hind feet with five, united by webs.Gen. VII. BUFO. Toad.— Jaws destitute of teeth. Bodywarty.Tongueshort and thick.11. B. vulgaris.Common Toad.— Bodyswollen. Headlarge, above dusky-black. Fore-feet with four divided toes ; hindfeet with six, united by webs.Bufo, Sibb. Scot. 13. Ray, Syn. Quad. 252. Rana Bufo, Linn. Syst.i.354. Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. 14— T, Taed; W, Llvffant die, Llyffantdafadenog.This well known animal, though a devourer of worms, slugs, and wasps, andtherefore useful in gardens, though inoffensive in its manners, and destituteof any venomous quality, is despised, hated, and persecuted by the ignorant.Few individuals, even of education, will venture to take a toad in their hand,or act otherwise than loath it. How surprising that prejudices so unjustifiableshould still continue to prevail!12. B. Rubeta. Natter-Jack.— Above yellow, clouded withbrown, with a mesial yellow line.Rana Rubeta, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 355. Penn. Brit. Zool. iii. 19. Lacepede,Ov. Quad. ii. 253.This species, which differs from the preceding in having only five toes onthe hind feet, is covered with porous pimples. The hind part is blunt, andScattered underneath with small points. Its motion is more liker runningthan either leaping or crawling. Mr Pennant says that it frequents dry andsandy places ; is found on Putney Common, and* also near Revesby Abbey,Lincolnshire, where it is called the Natter-Jack. Its history, like that ofmany of our native reptiles, is involved in obscurity.