One's Own Back Door-yard 183 



little creature. Some people used to think he 

 had a precious jewel in his head, which, of 

 course, is not so, but he is a precious jewel 

 himself to the farmer, for he catches many 

 injurious worms and bugs and helps to save 

 the farmer's crops from destruction. We 

 could not get along without him, for all he is 

 an ugly looking fellow. 



" His tongue is fastened at the other end 

 from what yours is, Harry, so all he has to do 

 when he sees a fly is to flick it out, and as his 

 tongue is sticky, like fly paper, Mr. Fly is 

 caught before he knows it. 



" Bufo is quite a musician too. In the 

 spring when the bullfrogs and the hylas are 

 singing, you will hear him down by the pool. 

 He puffs out his throat until you would think 

 it must burst, and then sends forth a shrill 

 tremulous note, that can be heard for a long 

 distance. 



" A family of toads under the front door- 

 step is as good as a circus any evening." 



" Where in the world did you learn all 

 these things, Ben? " I asked in astonishment, 



