i88 JUNGLE FOLK 



as again to follow it, but, profiting by his recent 

 experience, did not attempt a second time to swallow it. 

 Thus the beetle passed off the stage. 



Seeing that this particular lizard was not over sharp, 

 I determined to play a little practical joke upon it. 

 Taking a piece of black worsted, I rolled it up into a 

 ball about the size of a fine, strapping blue-bottle fly, 

 and, having attached a piece of cotton to it, I 

 dangled this bait before the lizard. I succeeded in 

 " drawing " him. He was on it before I could say 

 " knife." 



In less than a second the worsted was in his mouth, 

 but he dropped it like a hot potato, and then sulked 

 under the looking-glass, apparently greatly annoyed 

 at having been made a fool of twice in succession. The 

 next day I chanced to come upon a toad, busy catching 

 insects. Wondering whether he would be deceived, I 

 threw on to the grass near him the end of a lighted 

 cigarette which I had been smoking. He at once 

 caught sight of it, and sat there looking at it intently 

 for some seconds, and I began to think he would not 

 fall into the trap, but the temptation was too strong, 

 for he shot forth his tongue to seize it. He discovered 

 that the '* tongue is an unruly member " as he re- 

 tracted the smarting organ. 



It is therefore clear that some insect-hunters are ever 

 ready to try experiments as regards food. 



Fish too, when really hungry, do not appear to 

 exercise much discrimination as to the nature of the 

 ''fly " they will take. 



The swarming of the " white ants " is a red-letter day 



