1 82 Life and Immortality 



to chronicle the event, the obstreperous insect is pushed into 

 the stomach. 



Some curious myths are told of the toad. One says he 

 can live for hundreds of years encased in clay or in stone. 

 No more true of Bufo is this than of Rana, his cousin. 

 Another asserts that his skin, when handled, is productive 

 of warts, and that the fluid he emits, which serves buc to 

 moisten his body, for without moisture he could certainly 

 not live, and to protect him from enemies, is poisonous in 

 character. His power to produce warts, we cannot admit. 

 But that the fluid he exudes, if not poisonous to touch, is 

 offensive to animals, there can be no doubt. We are led to this 

 conclusion from the following considerations : Dogs, young 

 animals especially, are prone to attack the .toad, but they 

 never want to repeat their experience. The toad's exuda- 

 tion so affects the salivary glands of the dog as to cause him 

 to froth and foam like an animal with rabies. A case is 

 recalled where a dog, that had taken a toad in his mouth, 

 became almost frantic. This dog never afterwards was well. 

 His whole system apparently had become diseased, and, in 

 less than a year, he had wasted to a complete skeleton, when 

 death relieved him of his sufferings. Another allegation, 

 that the toad has a jewel in his head, has been believed from 

 very ancient times. The story doubtlessly originated from 

 the beauty of the toad's eyes, the irides being a rich flame- 

 color, which, in the dusk of the even, shine like burnished 

 gems. 



When hatched the young of the toad are of a jet black 

 color, and are very active. Their changes are made very 

 early and in the same manner as those of the frog. They are 

 quite small when arrived at the perfect toad state. Their 

 legs produced and their tails absorbed, they quit the water 

 and set out on long journeys. Unlike the frog, which is a 

 home-stayer, the toad is a born vagrant. They travel chiefly 

 by night, hiding under stones and herbage during the day. 

 If clouds cover the sky, they take heart and joyously hop 



