NOTES BY THE WAY 



rotten wood that partially filled the cavity. It had 

 a fresh, delicate tint, as if it had not before seen 

 the light that spring. The president of a Western 

 college writes in "Science News" that two of his 

 students found one in the winter in an old stump 

 which they demolished; and a person whose vera- 

 city I have no reason to doubt sends me a specimen 

 that he dug out of the ground in December while 

 hunting for Indian relics. The place was on the 

 top of a hill, under a pine-tree. The ground was 

 frozen on the surface, and the toad was, of course, 

 torpid. 



During the present season, I obtained additional 

 proof of the fact that the tree-toad hibernates on 

 dry land. The 12th of November was a warm, 

 spring-like day ; wind southwest, with slight rain 

 in the afternoon, just the day to bring things out 

 of their winter retreats. As I was about to enter 

 my door at dusk, my eye fell upon what proved to 

 be the large tree-toad in question, sitting on some 

 low stone-work at the foot of a terrace a few feet 

 from the house. I paused to observe his move- 

 ments. Presently he started on his travels across 

 the yard toward the lawn in front. He leaped about 

 three feet at a time, with long pauses between each 

 leap. For fear of losing him as it grew darker, I 

 captured him, and kept him under the coal sieve 

 till morning. He was very active at night trying 

 to escape. In the morning, I amused myself with 

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