Teachers' Leaflet. 619 



(5). How does flattening out aid the toad? 



(6). Describe the toad's tongue and tell where it is fastened to the 

 mouth. 



(7). How does the toad catch a fly? 



(8). Does it swallow an earth worm head first or tail first? 

 (9). When trying to swallow an earth worm or large insect how does 

 the toad use its hands ? 



(10). When it has a large mouthful how does it act when swallowing? 



(11). Why is the toad of great use to the farmer? 



(12). How does the toad drink? 



(13). Where does it make its home? 



(14). Where does it remain during the day? 



(15). How does it make its burrow? 



(16). Why does it come out at night? 



(17). \\'hat happens to the toad in winter? 



(18). What does it do in the spring? 



(19). What sound does it make? 



(20). How does its throat look when the toad is singing? 



(21). Describe the action of the throat while breathing. 



(22). What are the toad's enemies? 



(23). How does it escape or defend itself from its enemies? 



(24). How and why does the toad shed its skin? 

 Facts for teachers. — The toad prefers a cold, damp place in which to live. This 

 is likely to be under sidewalks or boards or piazzas, and the warty upper surface 

 and its brown color make it resemble very much the surrounding earth and in this 

 way protect it from observation. When the toad is disturbed it will hop off, 

 taking long leaps and act frightened, but if very frightened it will flatten out on 

 the ground. When thus flattened out it looks so nearly like a clod of earth that it 

 is almost hidden from the keenest eyes. If seized by the enemj^ it will sometimes 

 "play possum" and act as if it were dead, but when actually in the mouth of the 

 enemy it will give a most terrific and heart-rending cry. The toad's tongue is 

 attached to the lower jaw at the front edge of the mouth. This tongue can be 

 thrust far out from the mouth, and it has a sticky substance on it to which the 

 insect if touched must adhere and then is drawn back into the mouth and swallowed. 

 It should be noted that while the tadpole eats vegetable matter, as soon as the toad 

 is fully developed it lives entirely upon small animals, usually insects. It eats al- 

 most any kind' of an insect and lives very largely upon those which are injurious to 

 the grass and to plants. The toad is really the best friend of the gardener and the 

 farmer, but has been most ungatefully treated by those whom it has befriended. 

 When a toad attempts to swallow an earth worm it will walk around the squirming 

 creature until it can seize it by the head. The probable reason for this is that the 

 horny hooks extending backward from the segments of the worm are not pleasant 

 when they rasp the toad's throat. If the toad has a large mouthful it will use its 

 hands to help in stuffing it down the throat ; this is a very comical sight. When 

 swallowing a large mouthful it closes its eyes as if this aided in the process. The 

 toad never drinks by taking in water through the mouth, but absorbs water through 

 the skin. When a toad wishes to drink it will stretch out in shallow water and in 

 that way satisfy its thirst. A toad will waste away and die in a very short time 



