BUFO, a genus of Reptiles belonging to the family Bufenicke, and to which the Common Toad belongs. The genus is thus character ised :—Body inflated; skin warty; parotids porous ; hind feet of moderatelength, toes not webbed; jaws without teeth ; nose rouuded. About 20 species of this genus have been enumerated by naturalists. Two of them are found in the British Islands.
B. rulgaris, the Common Toad, is the Rana Bufo of Linnwus, the Crapaud Count= of the French. Its body is of a lurid brownish gray colour, spotted over with reddish-brown tubercles : the body is much inflated. Tho Toad is very generally distributed over the British Islands, and from its dark colour, slow movements, and unpre possessing form, has acquired very general dislike. It is however perfectly harmless, and seems to possess an amount of intelligence that renders it capable of recognising thew who treat it kindly. Mr.
Bell in his British Reptiles' says :—" That toads may be rendered very tame, and be made to distinguish those who feed and are kind to them, there are abundant facts to testify. I have possessed a very large one which would sit on one of my hands and eat from the other ; and the story of Mr. Arscott's toad in Devonshire, related in Pen nant's British Zoology,' is too well known to need repetition." That they may be handled with impunity, and are incapable of producing any injurious influence, we know from having repeatedly seen them made the domestic pets of the children of a naturalist.
B. ealamita, Natter-Jack, Walking Toad, Running Toad; Bufo Rubeta of Fleming, Bufo mephitica of Shaw, Rune Rubeta of Turton.
It is known by its light yellowish-brown colour clouded with dull olive, but more especially by a bright yellow line along the middle of the back. It has acquired its name of Walking Toad or ltuuning
Toad in certain parts, from its never hopping, as is the case with the common toad and frog. Its colour varies very much according to circumstances, becoming lighter or darker in the course of a few minutes.
Pennant was the first to record this animal as British, and although very locally distribu ted it occurs in great numbers in some parted Great Britain. Mr. Bell says it is common on Blackheath and lit Deptford. It has also been found on Putney Common, at Gamlingay in Cambridge shire, at Sclbourne in Hampshire, and Bawdeey in Suffolk. It has also been found in Scotland. The form and appearance of this animal is less repulsive than the Common Toad. It is more social, and is gene rally found in communities. At Bawdmey they are found on the Red Crag cliffs overlooking the sea, and when alarmed hide themselves in holes in the sand which they make apparently for the purpose of con cealment. The Natter-Jack appears to be an inhabitant of Ireland.
Mr. Patterson in his !Zoology for Schools' says :—"The Common Toad is there unknown, its absence being accounted for, according to popular tradition and song, by the malediction of St. Patrick. The smaller species, the Natter-Jack, does not appear however to have been banished with the rest of 'the varmint,' as it is found in three or four localities in the County Kerry and at Ross Bay, County Cork." For an account of the general structure, habits, and classification of the family of Toads, see AllP111111A.