THK COMMON TOAI: 1U1 



whereby it falleth into a cistern or vessel of water ini.. which the Toad dareth not enter, by 



reaaon <>f the coldnesse of the water Tin- probation of this Stone is by laying of it to .-i 



live Toad, ami if she lift up her head against it. it is good, but if she run away from it, it is 

 a counterfeit." 



Tin- XIIIH- writer gives, in his own racy language, an account <>f the us.- to which e\. n *< 

 \enomoiis :ih animal as a Toud may be put \>\ those \\\n> know how to employ the worst thing* 

 for the best purposes. " Frederic, the link.- of S;i\,,n\ . was wont to pradis in tins manner. He 



!...!: I'osid }.' ' !.: . . '. ;''.. .1 i ! of i I. which Toad was dryed in the smoak or 



shadow, this h<- n>ul.il in a linn.-n cloth; and when he came to n man billing nt the nose, he 

 caused him to hold it fast in his hund until it \\:.\.-.| hot. and th.-n would the l>loud l- stayed. 

 Whereof the Physitians could never give any reaaon, except liormur and fear constrained the 

 I'loud to run int.. his projN-r place, tlirough fear of a Beaat BO contrary to humane nature. The 

 |K>\\dT also of u Toad is said to have the same vert 



For these and other similar opinions too numerous for mention, there is mime little founda- 

 tion. The skin of the Toad's back is covered thickly with little glands, and some larger ghinds 

 are gathered into two ^.-t^. ,, M( . nt each side of the bark of the head, and secrete a liquid sub- 

 stance, with sufficient acridity to mak.- tin- eyes smart should they ! touche<l with this fluid, 

 and to force a dog to loose his hold, if he should pick up a Toad in his mouth, and run away 

 u it h o|x>n jaws and foaming mouth. The glands at the tmck of the head secrete a large quan- 

 tity of liquid, and if pressed, will ej.i-t it in little streams to the distance of a few inches. 



In France, this poor creatur.- i- shamefully jM-rseciited. tin- idea of its venomous and spite- 

 ful nature being widely disseminated and deeply rooted. The popular notion is that the Toad 

 is poisonous throughout its life, but that after the age of fifty years it acquires venomous 

 fangs like tin we of the serjients. I once succeeded, but with great difficulty, in saving the life 

 of a fine fat Toad that was leisiin-h strolling in the Forest of M.-udoii and had got into a nit 

 too deep for escape. I had stoo|ied down to remove the |KM>r creature from danger, but was 

 dragged away by the by-stand.-r>. \\ ho quite exjected to see me mortally !>itten, and who pro- 

 ! 1 to slaught< i the Toad H tfefl -|-t M l-'.\.-i\ QM kills Toads in Knnir.-." s,-ij,l thi-y. 



Hearing from them, however, that tobacco was instantaneously fatal to Toads, I made a 

 compromise that they might kill it by putting tobacco on it. but in no other way. The 

 experiment was accordingly tried, and I had the pleasure of s--ing the creature walk away 

 iili the tobacco on its Kick, quite unconscious that it ought to have U-eii dead. One of the 

 sj^-tators not only insisted up<>n the quinquegenarian fangs, but averred that he had a pair at 

 dome in a box. However, I never could induce him to show them to me. 



In point of fact, the Toad is a most useful animal, devouring all kinds of insect vermin, 

 and making its rounds !>y night when the slugs, caterpillars, earwigs, ami other creatures are 

 abroad on their destructive mission. Many of the market-gardeners are so well aware of the 

 extreme value of the Toad's services, that they purchase Toads at a certain sum per dozen, and 

 turn them out in their grounds. 



Dull and apathetic as the Toad may seem, it has in it an affectionate and observant nature, 

 being tamed with wonderful ease, and soon learning to know its benefactors and to come at 

 i heir call. Mr. Bell had one of these creatures, which was accustomed to sit on one hand and 

 take its food out of the other. Many persons have possessed tame Toads, which would leave 

 their hiding-place at the sound of a whistle or a call, and come hastily up to receive a fly, 

 spider, or beetle. Toads can be rendered useful even in a house, for they will wage unceasing 

 war against cockroaches, crickets, moths, flies, and other insect pests. 



It is worthy of notice, that the Toad will never catch an insect or any other prey as long as 

 it is stationary, but on the slightest movement, the wonderful tongue is flung forward, picks 

 up the fly on the tip, and returns to the throat, placing the morsel just in the spot when- it 

 can be seized by the muscles of the neck, and pass.-d into the stomach. So rapidly is the act 

 performed, that Mr. Bell has seen the sides of a Toad twitching convulsively from the struggles 

 of a U-eti,. just swallowed, and kicking rigorously in the stomach. 



Entomologists sometimes make a curious use of the Toad. Going into the fields soon 

 after daybreak, they catch all the Toads they can find, kill them, and turn the contents of their 



VOL. QL-tt. 



