326 RAMBLES ABOUT HOME. 



with that of any other species. The only sound we can 

 liken it to is that of a heavily-loaded, creaking wagon 

 rolling over hard and uneven ground." As I can not 

 improve upon it, I will let this go as a description of the 

 noise spade- foots make ; but it does not, by any means, 

 do justice to their squealing, grunt-like croaks. 



On hearing, for the first' time, this fearful racket, I 

 straightway turned my steps pondward, and found the 

 place literally alive with the toads. At first glance I 

 took them to be the common species, but was puzzled by 

 the sound. Then, on closer inspection, I found them to 

 be the rare spade-foots. They continued in the pond for 

 five days, but made but little noise during the last two. 

 On the sixth day there was not one to be found anywhere 

 about. I searched for several days, but found no trace 

 of them, nor have I seen one in the eight years that have 

 passed since that time. 



This toad may be described as a terrestrial batrachian 

 which burrows "in the damp earth, a few inches below 

 the surface, which it excavates with great ease by means 

 of its spade-like processes or sharp-edged spurs growing 

 from their heels. In these holes it lies in wait for such 

 insects as may approach, and I suspect can spring forth 

 to seize whatever may be passing incautiously near its 

 hiding-place. I remarked, at least in those which I had 

 alive, that it leaped with great, apparent ease to a consid- 

 erable distance." So writes De Kay, in his "Natural 

 History of New York/ 5 



Another batrachian with which all are more or less 

 familiar, unless their whole lives have been spent in a 

 large city, is the tree-toad. Unlike the common toad, 

 which is terrestrial, or the frogs, that are aquatic, this ani- 

 mal leads an arboreal life. In anatomical structure, 



