326 ANNTJAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1941 



and the temperature never allowed to go over 75° Fahrenheit. Earth- 

 worms may be fed on well-decayed leaves, powdered bread crumbs, 

 pieces of boiled potatoes, and crumbled hard-boiled eggs. The orig- 

 inal stock can often be obtained by offering boys a small sum of money 

 for capturing them. (The yellowish-green earthworms that are about 

 manure piles are almost invariably refused by animals. Persons pur- 

 chasing worms from boys should make certain that they are not sup- 

 plied with worms from such sources.) 



White worms, or enchytrae (Enchytraeus) are from 1 to 2 inches 

 long and scarcely larger than threads. They are very good food for 

 small fishes and some other small animals, and can be raised in a 

 small container such as a granite pan 8 to 10 inches in diameter and 

 5 inches deep, filled to a depth of about 31^ inches with good garden 

 soil. Moisten the soil occasionally, but do not allow it to be wet. 

 Give the worms mashed potatoes, boiled rice, bread soaked in milk, 

 and see that all the food is covered with soil. The temperature should 

 be maintained between 45° and 70° Fahrenheit. Keep the top of the 

 pan covered with a piece of slate or glass to prevent the soil from 

 drying. 



Common green frogs {Rana) are excellent food for otters, minks, 

 raccoons, herons, and some snakes. They can usually be obtained 

 from biological laboratories and supply houses, or local boys will fre- 

 quently capture them for a small price. Various sizes can be obtained 

 from those just past the tadpole stage to full-grown frogs. They are 

 generally readily obtainable from dealers in the southern United 

 States. The same type of material, however, is obtainable throughout 

 most temperate and tropical regions. 



Tadpoles, the tailed, early stage of frogs and toads, are excellent 

 food for some animals and can be obtained at a small price from deal- 

 ers, or can be captured in quantities with a dip net in their native 

 haunts. 



Toads are almost the exclusive diet of the hog-nosed snake. They 

 can be obtained from dealers or captured by local boys. 



Small lizards, particularly anolis, the so-called chameleon of the 

 southeastern United States, Cuba, and Central America, are inex- 

 pensive and good food for small snakes, such as green and garter 

 snakes. The principal food of many snakes consists of smaller snakes 

 of their own kind or of related species. 



Minnows and other small fish can usually be obtaine^l locally by 

 the use of dip nets or small seines, or they can be purchased from 

 dealers. 



Shrimp of various sizes, from the large kinds commonly used for 

 human food, down to the minute forms, are excellent food for various 

 animals. They can be used either fresh or dried. Large shrimp. 



