LIVING THINGS IN MY YARD 



275 



move by means of a muscular foot, which can be seen in 

 action if the snail is allowed to crawl on a glass plate. The 

 mouth, with its sharp teeth, can be seen on the underside 

 of the foot. You can also see the head with its tentacles 

 and stalked eyes when the snail is moving about. 



Friendly Animals. Fortunately there are some 

 friendly animals that live in the garden. One of the best 

 friends is the toad. Toads are not often found in the 

 bright sunshine, but at dusk or on rainy days they may be 

 found squatted un- 

 der the leaves of 

 some plant, on the 

 lookout for insects. 

 Watch one and see 

 if you can find out 

 how he catches 

 them. His slimy 

 tongue is the 

 weapon and his use 

 of it is very accu- 

 rate. Toads are 



vertebrates because Toads are useful neighbors. Did you ever see one 

 ,i_ -i 11 catch an insect ? 



they have back- 

 bones. They belong to the group called amphibia 

 (Latin amphi both), so called because they pass their 

 lives both on land and in water. We should always 

 protect the toads, for they eat cutworms and other 

 garden pests. Occasionally harmless snakes are found 

 which live upon the rodents like field mice, gophers, or 

 rabbits. So we see even in our garden there is a continual 

 struggle for existence. 



Some Animals Found on or in the Ground. There are 

 several different kinds of animals that live under boards or 

 stones or in the ground. Pull up a board that has lain 

 on the ground for some time and you will be surprised to 



