392 LEAVES FROM THE 



the heat of the day, probably for air. But Mr. Arscott 

 once observed another large toad, which he had in the 

 bank of a bowling-green, at noon on a very hot day, 

 ' very busy and active upon the grass; so uncommon an 

 appearance,' says he, ' made me go out to see what it was, 

 when I found an innumerable swarm of winged ants had 

 dropped round his hole, which temptation was as in-e- 

 sistible as a turtle would be to a luxurious alderman.' 



The pet-toad that lived under the steps did not long 

 survive the rough usage of that malicious fiend, the raven. 

 It never enjoyed itself, to use Mr. Arscott's expression, 

 after the attack, and had a difficulty in taking its food, 

 missing its mark for want of the eye of which the raven had 

 deprived it ; and so it languished, and, languishing, did 

 live for a twelvemonth, when its life and sufferings ceased 

 together. 



I have satisfied myself that there is hardly any insect 

 of proportionate size that a toad will not take when in 

 motion ; and if an artificial fly were moved before it, 

 within tongue-shot, it would doubtless take it. Most of 

 us have heard of the vuiuvaise plalsanterie of throwing 

 small pieces of glowing charcoal to the poor bull-frog, 

 which swallowed them to its destruction, taking the burn- 

 ing coals for fireflies ; thus dying, involuntarily, the death 

 of Cato's daughter. 



' They that write of toads,' quoth Master Philemon 

 Holland, in his translation of Pliny, ' strive u-vie who 

 shall write most wonders of them ; for some say, that if 

 one of them be brought into a place of concourse, where 

 people are in great number assembled, they shall be all 

 hush, and not a word among them.' 



If this were but true, what a blessing an importation 

 of them would be into a certain great house, where words 

 now are much more plentiful than acts. 



No kitchen where the cooks are too apt to boil at a 

 gallop, instead of regulating the pot at that gentle rate 



