276 



NATURE STUDY AND LIFE 



they ? This question may be answered by searching over 

 the lot about sundown or after a shower. Do they have 

 enough to keep the ground free from insects ? How 



larsfe are their toads ? 

 Let us see who can bring 

 in the biggest toad, and 

 the smallest. What kinds 

 of places do toads select 

 to spend the day in } 

 This is an important 

 point. It will be found 

 that they choose moist, 

 shady places, under 

 stones, leaves, or, more 

 often, under boards. Are 

 there enough such shel- 



FiG. 112. Just before 



ters well distributed about their orardens ? 



Before I knew what to do to save my garden from the skigs, 

 I have stood at evening rejoicing over rows of fresh emerakl leaves 

 just springing in rich lines along the beds, and woke in the morning 

 to find the whole space stripped of 

 any sign of green, as blank as a 

 board over which a carpenter's plane 

 has passed. 



In the thickest of my fight with 

 the slugs some one said to me, 

 "Every living thing has its enemy; 

 the enemy of the slug is the toad. 

 Why don't you import toads .^" 



I snatched at the hope held 

 out to me, and immediately w^ote 

 to a friend on the continent, " In the name of the Prophet, Toads! " 

 At once a force of only too willing boys was set about the work 



Fig. 113. Just after 



