78 The Effects of a Drought 



I found a philosophical toad, housed in a 

 very unique fashion. Crows had pecked a 

 hole in an early maturing watermelon and 

 then turned it over in order that the seeds 

 might fall out or gravitate to the opening, as 

 the pulp of the melon slowly decayed. This 

 is an old trick of these birds that is so in- 

 genious that I am more than ever their friend 

 in spite of the mischief done. A few melons 

 less, but does the entertainment afforded by 

 the birds go for nothing ? When I made the 

 discovery there was little more than the 

 wrinkled rind left, draped inside with an 

 abundance of very red paper. The toad a 

 very old one from appearance had taken up 

 his abode in the melon, and to see him sitting 

 at the door of his home, contemplating the 

 drying up of creation, was extremely funny. 

 Everybody that I brought to the spot had 

 something to say about Diogenes and his tub, 

 and I gave up all intention of writing on this 

 subjeft. Diogenes was in everybody's mouth, 

 even to high-school girl graduates of the cur- 

 rent summer. That toad led to more display 

 of classical knowledge than I had previously 

 discovered in the conversation of my friends. 

 I considered the toad from a purely zoologi- 



