THE COMMON TOAD. 10 j 



whereby it falleth into a cistern or vessel of water into which the Toad dareth not enter, by 



reason of the coldnesse of the water The probation of this Stone is by laying of it to a 



live Toad, and if she lift up her head against it, it is good, but if she run away from it, it is 

 a counterfeit. " 



The same writer gives, in his own racy language, an account of the use to which even so 

 venomous an animal as a Toad may be put by those who know how to employ the worst things 

 for the best purposes. " Frederic, the Duke of Saxony, was wont to practis in this manner. He 

 had ever a Toad pierced through with a piece of wood, which Toad was dryed in the smoak or 

 shadow, this he rowled in a linnen cloth; and when he came to a man bleeding at the nose, he 

 caused him to hold it fast in Ins hand until it waxed hot, and then would the blond be, stayed. 

 Whereof the Physitians could never give any reason, except honour and fear constrained the 

 bloud to run into his proper place, through fear of a Beast so contrary to humane nature. The 

 powder also of a Toad is said to have the same vertue." 



For these and other similar opinions too numerous for mention, there is some little founda- 

 tion. The skin of the Toad's back is covered thickly with little glands, and some larger glands 

 are gathered into two sets, one at each side of the back of the head, and secrete a liquid sub- 

 stance, with sufficient acridity to make the eyes smart should they be touched with this fluid, 

 and to force a dog to loose his hold, if he should pick up a Toad in his mouth, and run away 

 with open jaws and foaming mouth. The glands at the bark of the head secrete a large quan- 

 tity of liquid, and if pressed, will eject it in little streams to the distance of a few inches. 



In France, this poor creature is shamefully persecuted, the idea of its venomous and spite- 

 ful nature being widely disseminated and deeply rooted. The popular notion is that the Toad 

 is poisonous throughout its life, but that after the age of fifty years if 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 creature from danger, but was 

 dragged away by the by-standers, who quite expected to see me mortally bitten, and who pro- 

 ceeded 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 oughl to have 1 a dead. One of the 



spectators not only insisted upon the quinqueirenarian fangs, but averred that he had a pair at 

 home in a box. However, I never could induce him to show them to me. 



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

 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. 



Hull 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 o\ her prey as long as 

 it is stationary, but on the slightest movement, the wonderful tonuue is 11 ung forward, picks 

 up the fly on the tip, and returns to the throat, placing the morsel just in the spot where it 

 can be seized by the muscles of the neck, and passed into the stomach. So rapidly is the act 

 performed, that Mr. Bell has seen the sides of a Toad twitching convulsively from the struggles 

 of a beetle just swallowed, and kicking vigorously in the stomach. 



Entomologists sometimes make a curious use of the Toad. Going into the fields soon 

 after daybreak, they catch all the Toads they can find, kill them, and turn the contents of their 



Vol. in.- 21. 



