338 Illinois State Lahoratoni of Natund Histonj. 



Southern Illinois ; collected only at Anna and Villa Rid^^e. 



Though at other seasons of a mild and timid disposition, 

 the toad throws off its mildness and timidity with the first 

 warm days of April and hies to some pool or wayside ditch in 

 recklessly amorous humor. Here the sexes meet and, not with- 

 out some animated discussion, partners are chosen. Soon after- 

 wards the spawn is to be seen suspended among dead water 

 plants, or lying on the bottom as strands of translucent gelat- 

 inous matter, in which at pretty regular intervals, the dark- 

 colored eggs are imbedded. From these eggs small tadpoles 

 or poUywogs are, a little later, excluded, and often in such 

 numbers as to blacken the bottoms of pools. The tad- 

 poles feed upon Algs and other vegetable matter for several 

 weeks, then acquire limbs, lose their tails by resorbtion, and 

 appear on land as very small toads. Henceforth they live 

 on land, excepting during the breeding season, and feed on 

 animal food, chiefly insects. During the summer, toads lead 

 the lives of hermits in shallow holes or under boards or stones, 

 and are widely scattered. They are inactive during bright 

 days and remain in their retreats, but at dusk and on cloud}' 

 days the}^ may be seen in gardens and fields hopping about 

 in search of insects. Of these nothing comes amiss. Stink- 

 bugs, tumble bugs, and even stinging Hymenoptera may 

 be taken from their stomachs. Predaceous beetles (Carabida^) 

 form a conspicuous element of the food of adult toads, the 

 common genera Harpalus, Evarthrus, Pterostichus, and Araara 

 being most largely represented. In the food of young toads, 

 ants take the place of beetles to some extent. Injurious insects 

 are frec[uently eaten, among them Aphidida;; but the greater part 

 of the food of toads taken at random consists of insects which 

 do not attract the attention of economic entomologists. Bene- 

 ficial insects are perhaps as frequently eaten as injurious ones. 

 The variety of species eaten at one time is astonishing. Six- 

 teen genera, representing two classes of arthropods and five of 

 the seven orders of one of them, have been determined from 

 the contents of one stomach. The following list gives in tlie 

 order of their importance the elements of the food of twelve 

 stomachs of toads from .37 inch to 3 inches in length: 



