FROGS, TOADS AND SOME GRAY-HAIRED LIES 451 



to say that, when these sketches were made he was 

 in a disgraceful condition a state deserving a 

 punishment of ten dollars or ten days . This, 

 however, was not altogether the fault of the toad. 

 You will observe several unfinished pencil draw- 

 ings. These are unfinished because the toad hopped 

 away before they could be colored up and the de- 

 tails put in. This happened a number of times, 

 and as I was very anxious to get a careful drawing 

 of the warty rascal and at the same time did not 

 want to kill him to keep him quiet, at the suggestion 

 of one of the woodsmen I administered to him a 

 spoonful of milk flavored with alcohol. It was 

 not a kind thing to do, but not so cruel as killing 

 the creature, because he did get sober. The effect 

 of the milk punch can be seen from the attitudes 

 in this leaf of the sketch book; but, after rolling 

 around in the most comical way he settled down 

 and gave me all the time necessary to make a care- 

 ful water-color portrait. Then he gradually sob- 

 ered up and hopped away 



A SADDER AND A WISER TOAD. 



Since that time he has refrained, so far as I 

 know, from indulging in intoxicants. 



This last summer (1905), Mr. Vreeland 

 photographed a toad while singing. The toad was 

 sitting on a stone on the edge of Big Tink Pond 

 and while he focused the camera I mimicked the 

 note of the toad. Instantly the pond minstrel drew 

 in two or three breaths, then his throat swelled 



