26 



IIEMIPTERA. 



EuscJiistvs Jissilis Uhl. Ceresa sp? 



A7iasa tristis DeG. 



OKTHOPTEKA. 



Grylliis luctnosvs Serv. Pezotettix sp? 



CeutJiopJiihis maculatus Harr. Melanoplus femoratits Burm. 

 Xiphidmm hrevipenne Scud. "• femur-ruhrum DeG. 



Blatta germaidca Fab. 



DIGESTION : AMOUNT OF FOOD. 



The digestive process in the toad is one of trituration and sohi- 

 tion. The muscular stomach grinds the food while the acid digest- 

 ive fluids soften and render assimilable the various food elements. 

 Samples of the digestive fluids of the toad submitted for analysis to 

 Mr. F. J. Smith, Chemist to the Gypsy Moth Committee, were found 

 by him to be rich in hydrochloric acid and to contain a small amount 

 of phosphoric acid. That the digestive process is ordinarily a con- 

 tinuous one is shown by the fact that in a majority of the stomachs 

 examined the food at the pylorus was finely ground and neai-ly 

 digested, while that near the cardiac orifice was intact and, to all 

 appearances, but recently swallowed. 



The qnantity of food that can be accommodated in the stomach of 

 the toad is remarkable. As stated on previous pages, the remains of 

 seventy-seven myriapods were found in a single stomach, fifty-five 

 army worms in another, sixty-five gypsy moth caterpillars in a 

 thii'd, and thirty-seven tent caterpillars in a fourth. In these cases, 

 however, but one kind of food was present and the toads were above 

 the usual size. On one occasion Mr. J. E. Wilcox, a former employee 

 of the Gypsy Moth Committee, fed to a toad of medium size twenty- 

 four fourth-molt gypsy moth larvae, all of which were swallowed in 

 less than ten minutes. Mr. F. H. Mosher once fed a toad upon a 

 quantity of full-grown celery worms {Papilio asterias) and in three 

 hours' time the animal had consumed between thirty and thirty-five. 

 In this case the toad rested at intervals of about twenty minutes 

 each between the times of feeding. 



In looking over my notes on the stomach examinations, I find a 

 record of a toad killed at 9 : 00 p. m., May 11, 1896, whose stomacli 

 contents represent a fair average of the whole number of stomachs 

 examined, both for variety and quantity of food elements. Iti the 

 stomach contents were recognized : — 



