CHAPTER XVI 



INSECTIVOROUS ANIMALS 



The Common Toad : its Life Story and Work ; 



THE Biological Type 



Life runs its rounds of living, climbing up 



From moat, and gnat, and worm, reptile, and fish, 



Bird and shagged beast, man, demon, deva, God, 



To clod and moat again ; so are we kin 



To all that is ; and thus, if one might save 



Man from his curse, the whole wide world should share 



The lightened horror of this ignorance 



Whose shadow is chill fear, and cruelty 



Its bitter pastime. 



Sir Edwin Arnold, Light of Asia. 



If the children are interested in their gardens, vines, 

 and fruit trees, and if they have begun to study intelli- 

 gently the insects about their homes, they will be ready 

 to commence with zest the work with our insectivorous 

 animals. 



Possibly some child in the class has a pet toad. If so, 

 have it brought to school and make it at home in an 

 aquarium or glass box of some sort with about two inches 

 of moist earth in the bottom. It will probably bury itself 

 with only its back and eyes above the surface. Then 

 ask the children to bring in all sorts of insects — flies, 

 caterpillars, hornets, wasps, rose beetles, spiders, ants, 

 moths, roaches, squash bugs, anything they can find — 



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