74 NATURE SKETCHES IN TEMPERATE AMERICA 



one occasion it caught sight of a full-grown female walking- 

 stick insect which it seized about midway along its body. Then 

 the toad doubled the insect up, bringing the two halves together, 

 and slowly but surely began to swallow it. To facilitate the 

 operation the toad used its front feet, much as we would our 

 hands, guiding and pushing the morsel down its throat. In 

 view of the great length of the walking-stick's body, it was 

 surprising that such a small animal could swallow this insect 

 whole without at least first removing the slender legs; but the 

 tree-toad was fully equal to the occasion. The result of the 

 meal was that the ungainly walking-stick {iroduced a noticeable 

 angular protuberance at the side of the toad's body, which, 

 however, was only temporary as it only lasted for an hour or 

 thereabouts after it was swallowed. 



The appetite of the tree-toad for insects is prodigious, .espe- 

 cially after its day's fasting. One evening I offered my toad 

 guest one of the familiar saw-fly larva', wliich is a large, light 

 colored, bulky grul) that feeds on the heart-shaped willow leaves. 

 After the larva, which was at first curled up from fright, began 

 to gain confidence and straightened out in its attempt to crawl, 

 the toad became much interested in its actions. Then, after 

 watching it intently a little longer the toad finally sprang 

 toward it, catching hold of the forward extremity, and hastily 

 swallowed a fourth of its body. The j)owerful larva now j)ro- 

 tested by suddenly curling its body, at the same time becoming 

 perfectly rigid. The toad was put at a great disadvantage 

 by this manoeuvre and was obliged to disgorge the part 

 swallowed, ))ut did not do so without a struggle to retain its 

 hold. The larva then remained perfectly quiet, seeming to be 

 conscious of danger, while the toad in the meantime made no 

 further attempt to swallow it again, though standing over it 

 and watching quite a while for a final move on the part of the 

 larva. 



The performance of suddenly curling the body is quite 

 characteristic of this and some other larvjr, and here I had 

 convincing proof that this habit could be useful in the preserva- 

 tion of the individual against the attacks of toads, and has 

 quite a biological significance. How birds would act toward 



