lapsed, and remained in a stupor for some 

 time, and, when handled, behaved as if 

 dead. After a time, possibly not over 

 five or six minutes, certainly not over 

 ten, the animal revived and commenced 

 to run about the table." Irritating- him 

 again in the samie manner, Professor 

 Underwood caused the toad to go 

 through the operation a second time, 

 which was followed, as in the first in- 

 stance, by collapse and stupor. "No 

 amount of irritation could produce a 

 third discharge, although the animal 

 showed some anger." 



This habit of the Horned Toads has 

 been observed by a number of scientists 

 and it is said that the Mexicans have called 

 them Sacred Toads, ''because they wept 

 tears of blood." Ab examination with 

 a microscope clearly shows that the eject- 

 ed liquid is blood. As to the purpose of 

 this habit. Dr. O. P. Hay says : "It ap- 

 pears to me quite likely that it is done 

 in order to defend itself from the at- 

 tacks of its enemies, although it would 

 not seem likely that blood would hurt 

 the eyes much. Nevertheless a discharge 

 of blood into the eyes of some persever- 



ing bird or snake might so seriously in- 

 terfere with its clearness of vision that 

 the lizard might make its escape while 

 the enemy was wiping its eyes." One 

 investigator, at least, has had the experi- 

 ence of having the stream of blood enter 

 his eye. It was followed by pain which 

 lasted for some time, but was reHeved as 

 soon as the blood was entirely wiped 

 from the eye. Some inflammation fol- 

 lowed, but soon it disappeared. 



UnHke some of the other lizards, the 

 Horned Toads are not provided with a 

 protrusive tongue. This fact, together 

 with their clumsy form, prevents them 

 from preying on the more lively insects. 

 They chiefly feed upon the beetles and 

 other slowly moving insects that inhabit 

 the region in which they live. The food 

 is captured in the evening, and if undis- 

 turbed the toads remain quite passive 

 throughout the day. In captivity they 

 are interesting pets and if they will take 

 food they bear confinement for a long 

 time. "They not infrequently, however, 

 starve themselves to death, though their 

 capacity to live without food is marvel- 

 ous." 



DOWN IN DIXIE-LAND. 



One never has to travel very far from 

 home to see something new and inter- 

 esting; so I wonder if all of the readers . 

 know of the "frizzly chicken" which is 

 so popular among the colored people of 

 our southern states. 



It is of ordinary size and like the rest 

 of the chicken family, except that its 

 feathers stand on end like the quills of 

 an angry porcupine. It reminded me 

 of a chicken perpetually blown before a 

 March wind. Of course, their feathers 

 become ragged and "frizzled," like the 



hair of their proud possessors, and I 

 imagine the motherly inclined do not 

 find their sittings quite so comfortable 

 as do oiir meek-looking hens. 



As a, rule, the negroes are very humane 

 in their treatment of domestic animals. 

 The dogs are treated as well as the chil- 

 dren, and nearly every cabin door has a 

 hole cut in it for the entrance and exit 

 of the family cats. As the weather is 

 seldom, cold, these ventilators are really 

 good for the larger inmates. 



Lee McCrae. 



180 



