TOAD ALIVE IN CHALK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18193, 14 September 1933, Page 10

TOAD ALIVE IN CHALK

eyes, but no mouth FIND IN ENGLAND LONDON, July S. A live, toad with eyes but no mouth has been found in the solid chalk face of a greystone lime pit at Dorking. 11 was discovered after blasting operations 30ft. from the surface and 4ft. into the face of the cliff. The animal is about an inch and a quarter in length. When found it was pink in color, but lias gradually got darker. it has been taken to the Natural History Museum for examination.

.Mr Harold Hooke, who made lho discovery, told a. representative of the Daily Telegraph that there, was no possibility of the load having got into (lie chalk recently. A geologist from the Geidogienl Museum, who took the toad away, told him that similar linds had lii'en made before in other deposits. What made this find unique was that the toad was discovered in chalk. It might live for .10 hours from its discovery. Up to that time dO hours had passed and it seemed “quite lively.”

“Although the toad has no mouth, there is a line where a mouth .should fie,’’added Mr Cooke. “An assistant keeper of the museum asked about this over the telephone. lie suggested that if I pressed my lingers at either end of the line the mouth would o’pen. I did this, hut without result. I was also told that the creature breathed through its skin. “The geologist who eamc down at my request,” Mr Cooke said, “would not venture a. guess as to how long it had been in the ( balk. It might have been a year, or it might have been many years.”