25 



In danger from a bird of prey. 



In tlie little picture on page 24 is 

 shown another source of danger and 

 cause for the diminution in numbers. 

 The newts and salamanders find young 

 tadpoles very good eating and they 

 make way with hundreds of them. 

 Some die from what are called natural 

 causes, that is diseases, or possibly they 

 eat something that does not agree with 

 them. So that while there were multi- 

 tudes of eggs (1,000 or more from each 

 toad), and of just hatched tadpoles, the 

 number has become sadly lessened by 

 the time the brood is ready to leave the 

 water. 



Then when they set foot on land, their 

 dangers are not passed. They may be 

 parched by summer's heat or crushed 

 under the feet of men or cattle. Birds 

 and snakes like them for food. The 

 pictures on this page show some of these 

 dangers. Is it a wonder, then, that of 

 all the multitudes of tadpoles so few grow 

 up to be large toads ? 



We have so few helpers to keep the 

 noxious insects in check, it is not be- 

 lieved that any boy or girl who knows 



Snakes usually^ if not always, sivallow toads hind legs foretnost, as sJunvn in the 



picture. 



