xv. FROGGIES. 217 



melting eye may be a dangerous treasure to toads. We 

 are told in Romeo and Juliet, 



" Some say the lark and loathed toad change eyes." 



I imagine this toad wished he had never made so un- 

 fortunate an exchange. Havens and jackdaws are pro- 

 verbially fond of trinkets, and the raven in this case 

 thought he had secured a jewel. 



But though I cannot honestly say that I am fond of 

 toads, I do not like to hear them evil spoken of, or to 

 see them murdered wholesale as venomous creatures. 

 The skin does, indeed, give forth a very acrid and bitter 

 fluid, which will leave an unpleasant taste in your mouth. 

 But who wants to taste a toad ? I cannot see that we 

 have any right to object to this. It is simply Nature's 

 mode of protecting the poor animal from evil-minded 

 dogs and other bloodthirsty creatures. A frog has some 

 chance of escaping from Pincher's too pressing attentions 

 by a few of those vigorous leaps ; but the poor toad can't 

 jump much, so he makes himself as bitter as he can. 

 And if Pincher being young and inexperienced does 

 catch hold of him, the dog will shake his head and foam 

 at the mouth and make a great fuss and noise. But he 

 will not be anxious to repeat the experiment. 



This it is, perhaps, that has given poor Bufo, the toad, 

 such a bad name. But to say that he poisons babies is 

 simply a libel. Babies ought to be taught not to suck 

 such things. The toad has no sort of ill-will to man nay 

 more, he returns good for evil and aids the gardener by 

 killing a great number of injurious insects. If only he 

 would conquer his taste for an occasional bee for supper, 

 his life would be one of uninterrupted good service to 

 man. I once knew a toad that had a hole close to some 

 bee-hives ; and I used often to see him sitting on the 



