AN ARCADIAN CALENDAR 



he may hope to soften the heart of his awe-inspiring, 

 Amazonian mate, so much bigger than himself the 

 glory of his golden eyes, and his marvellous skin. 



A TAME toad of a garden; a buxom and matronly toad, 

 lives beside a lily-pond, where she receives 

 Tale of a many visitors, eating some, and sending 

 Toad others packing with a dose of her venom. 



One day she was called upon by a party 

 of baby moorhens, attracted by the water. They came 

 to a stop as they beheld, in evident curiosity, a large 

 worm wriggling in and out of her cavernous mouth. 

 All save one of the chicks decided to retire. The one 

 brave heart advanced boldly, and began pecking at the 

 worm. A lively tug-of-war ensued. But it was the toad 

 that ate the worm, and the small bird, as if fearing a 

 like fate, then beat a scared retreat from the toad's 

 rolling eyes and flashing tongue. 



THE crested newt, biggest of efts, is one of the quaintest 

 characters which start life as the pond's 

 Water water-babies. Now, like the wanton lap- 

 Babies wing, he gets himself a new crest for the 

 charming of a mate, whose love he cements 

 by whipping her with his tail. The two, agreeing, seek 

 a pond for egg-laying, going ashore when family 

 matters are settled. They have a reputation for stinging, 

 hence, in the fairy play, were abjured, with the equally 

 harmless slow- worm, to do no harm to the fairy queen. 

 Spenser sang of marshes " In which the fearfull Ewftes 

 do build their bowres," a passage of interest as showing 

 how the old name has changed from " an ewfte " to 

 " an ewt," and to " a newt." 



36 



