150 PEP ACTON 



open air. The weather had grown much colder, 

 and there was a hint of coming frost. The toad 

 took the hint at once, and, after hopping a few yards 

 from the door to the edge of a grassy bank, began 

 to prepare for winter. It was a curious proceeding. 

 He went into the ground backward, elbowing him- 

 self through the turf with the sharp joints of his 

 hind legs, and going down in a spiral manner. His 

 progress was very slow: at night I could still see 

 him by lifting the grass ; and as the weather changed 

 again to warm, with southerly winds before morn- 

 ing, he stopped digging entirely. The next day I 

 took him out, and put him into a bottomless tub 

 sunk into the ground and filled with soft earth, 

 leaves, and leaf mould, where he passed the win- 

 ter safely, and came out fresh and bright in the 

 spring. 



The little peeping frogs lead a sort of arboreal 

 life, too, a part of the season, but they are quite 

 different from the true tree-toads above described. 

 They appear to leave the marshes in May, and to 

 take to the woods or bushes. I have never seen 

 them on trees, but upon low shrubs. They do not 

 seem to be climbers, but perchers. I caught one 

 in May, in some low bushes a few rods from the 

 swamp. It perched upon the small twigs like a 

 bird, and would leap about among them, sure of its 

 hold every time. I was first attracted by its pip- 

 ing. I brought it home, and it piped for one twi- 

 light in a bush in my yard and then was gone. I 

 do not think they pipe much after leaving the 



