THE TOAD. 



'65 



the Toad is poisonous throughout its life, but that after the age of fifty years it acquires 

 venomous fangs like those of the serpents. I once succeeded, but with great difficulty, 

 in saving the life of a fine fat Toad that was leisurely strolling in the Forest of Meudon 

 and had got into a rut too deep for escape. I had stooped down to remove the poor creat- 

 ure from danger, but was dragged away by the bystanders, who quite expected to see 

 me mortally bitten, and who proceeded to slaughter the Toad on the spot. " Every 

 one kills Toads in France," said they. 



Hearing from them, however, that tobacco was instantaneously fatal to Toads, I 

 made a compromise that they might kill it by putting tobacco on it, but in no other 

 way. The experiment was accordingly tried, and I had the pleasure of seeing the 

 creature walk away with the tobacco on its back, quite unconscious that it ought to 

 have been dead. One of the spectators not only in.sisted upon the quinquegenarian 

 fangs, but averred that he had a pair at home in a box. However, I never could 

 induce him to show them to me. 



TOAD. Buto vulgarls. 



In point of fact, the Toad is a most useful animal, devouring all kinds of insect ver- 

 min, and making its rounds by night when the slugs, caterpillars, earwigs, and other 

 creatures are abroad on their destructive mission. Many of the market-gardeners are 

 so well aware of the extreme value of the Toad's services, that they purchase Toads 

 at a certain sum per dozen, and turn them out in their grounds. 



Dull and apathetic as the Toad may seem, it has in it an affectionate and observant 

 nature, being tamed with wonderful ease, and soon learning to know its benefactors 

 and to come at their call. Mr. Bell had one of these creatures, which was accustomed 

 to sit on one hand and take its food out of the other. Many persons have possessed tame 

 Toads, which would leave their hiding-place at the sound of a whistle or a call, and 

 come hastily up to receive a fly, spider, or beetle. Toads can be rendered useful even 

 in a house, for they will wage unceasing war against cockroaches, crickets, moths, flies, 

 and other insect pests. 



It is worthy of notice, that the Toad will never catch an insect or any other prey 

 as long as it is stationary, but on the slightest movement, the wonderful tongue is 

 flung forward, picks up the fly on the tip, and returns to the throat, placing the morsel just 



