•>^ 



Bufonidse 



" come to life " sticking up their little orange paws in most ridicu- 

 lous fashion before they tumble over and hop away (Fig. 41.). 



We cannot see the army of toads as it leaves the v/ater with- 

 out wondering what will be the fate of these defenseless creatures. 

 We try to get ten of them all at once into our closed hand. It is f 

 no easy task, although there is plenty of room. As fast as one j 

 little fellow goes in, another hops out on the other side. But I 

 while they hop out of our hands, they themselves hop, without 

 fail, into our hearts. The midgets have such bright eyes, wise 

 expressions, and alert ways, and their legs seem so inadequately 

 small, even for such tiny bodies. We know that if they proceed 

 along sidewalks and roadways, unavoidable danger comes crashing 

 down upon them, and that if they hunt the mosquitoes and other 

 small insects of the fields and meadows, they must meet enemies 

 unnumbered. Among these are snakes, crows, and several hawks 

 and owlsS besides ducks and hens. These are enemies not only 

 of young toads, but of the full-grown ones also. The full-grown 

 toads do not eat the young ones. In this they are very different 

 from most of their relatives. For the young toad, the most to be 

 feared among these enemies is perhaps the hungry baby snake, 

 who finds him a most palatable morsel.^ Probably many of the 

 small toads succumb also to severe cold or rapid changes of 

 temperature during the winter.^ 



However, in the spring, one-year-old toads are numerous. 

 They have grown greatly. There is considerable variation in 

 their size, showing that all have not had equally good conditions 

 or did not start out with equal vigour. They have gained 

 the rough coat and the colour-pattern of dress of the older toads, in 

 fact they lost their smoothness of skin long before they went to 

 sleep for the winter. Toads at this stage are so tame and con- 

 fiding that we involuntarily wish them good luck whenever they 

 cross our path. (Fig. 42.) Toads do not resort to the ponds 

 for the breeding season until they are three or four years old. 



1 A. K. Fisher. — " Hawks and Owls from the Standpoint of the Fanner." Reprint from 

 the Yearbook of the U. S. Department of Agriculture for 1S94. 



* These young snakes seem to be fully aware that they have the advantage of the toads, and the 

 toads are equally aware of the situation. It is no unusual thing to see a baby snake much smaller 

 than one's lead pencil pestering an old toad of considerable size. The great gentle fellow never 

 turns in retaliation — although he might easily swallow the snake if he tried — but proceeds hop- 

 ping desperately along the roadside, getting nipped on the haunches every few moments. 



•• It is thought that young toads '.jurrow much less deeply into the soil for their winter hiberna- 

 lion than do toads of more years of experience and more physical strength. 



72 



