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thousand or two for a new generation of toads. And this would com- 

 plete its life cycle. 



While the toad completes its life cycle when it returns to the water 

 and lays eggs for a new generation, it may live many years afterward 

 and lay eggs many times, perhaps every year. 



Many insects, some fish and other animals die after laying their 

 eggs. For such animals the completion of the life cycle ends the life- 

 history also. But unless the toad meets with some accident it goes 

 back to its land home after laying the eggs, and may live in the same 

 garden or door yard for many years, as many as eight years and per- 

 haps longer. (See Bulletin No. 46, Hatch Experiment Station of the 

 Massachusetts Agricultural College, Amherst, Mass.) 



Erroneous Notions About the Toad. 



If one reads in old books and listens to the fairy tales and other 

 stories common everywhere, he will hear many wonderful things about 

 the toad, but most of the things are wholly untrue. 



One of the erroneous notions is that the toad is deadly poison. 

 Another is that it is possessed of marvelous healing virtues, and still 

 another, that hidden away in the heads of some of the oldest ones, are 

 the priceless toad-stones, jewels of inestimable value. 



Giving warts. — Probably every boy and girl living in the country 

 has heard that if one takes a toad in his hands, or if a toad touches 

 him anywhere he will " catch the warts." This is not so at all, as has 

 been proved over and over again. If a toad is handled gently and 

 petted a little, it soon learns not to be afraid, and seems to enjoy the 

 kindness and attention. If a toad is hurt or roughly handled, a 

 whitish, acrid substance is poured out of the largest warts. This 

 might smart a little if it got into the mouth, as dogs find out when 

 they try biting a toad. It cannot be very bad, however, or the hawks, 

 owls, crows and snakes that eat the toad would give up the practice. 

 The toad is really one of the most harmless creatures in the world, and 

 has never been known to hurt a man or a child. 



A boy might possibly have some warts on his hands after handling 

 a toad; so might he after handling a jack-knife or looking at a steam 

 engine ; but the toad does not give the warts any more than the knife 

 or the engine. 



