294 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [June, 
into use to force the unfortunate worm into the capacious gullet 
of its captor.’’!8 
In this connection we may quote C. F. Hodge," who, in giving 
instructions as to the use of toads as insect catchers in houses, says: 
“Sugar solutions should not be used [as bait] on account of the 
danger to honey bees which a toad will take in great numbers despite 
their stings.””’ Hodge quotes” a feeding test by Miss E. M. Foskett, 
the insect used being Macrodactylus subspinosus. Miss Foskett 
says: ‘One day I gathered a quantity of rose bugs in a tin box, 
sat down in the shade beside my queer pet and began feeding bugs 
to him. At first I did not count, but finding his appetite so good, 
I started to count. When I had counted over eighty bugs and the 
toad showed no signs of wishing to conclude his meal, I picked him 
Upee sus Previous to my beginning to count, he had taken 
anywhere from ten to twenty bugs. He was quite a large toad, but 
the bugs were large, too, and very ‘scratchy.’”’ 
The American Sportsman (Vol. 3, No. 2, October 11, 1873, p. 23) 
reports a series of experiments with toads by Dr. Thomas Hill. 
This account does not have a thoroughgoing appearance of verity, 
but this may be not a reflection on the experiments themselves, but 
upon the reporting. It is said a toad ate “‘yellow-striped”’ locusts, 
earthworms, and at one meal twenty-three squash bugs and ninety- 
four larve of Pygera menistra [Datana ministra]. 
C. V. Riley briefly states! the results of offering larve of Anosia 
plexippus to various animals, as follows: ‘Prompted by... . 
experiments made in England, I was led to make similar ones with 
our gayly colored Archippus larva, and the result fully accords with 
that obtained by Mr. Weir, for neither turkeys, chickens, toads, nor 
snakes would touch it.” 
Included with some notes on the Florida chameleon (Anolis 
principalis), Dr. 8. Lockwood records” an observation upon captive 
toads. Two of these animals ate, respectively, three and two potato 
beetles (Leptinotarsa decemlineata), after which they would take no 
more. Dr. Lockwood then remarks: ‘It was specially observable 
of the one which had swallowed the three spearmen, despite the 
grotesque gravity of his demeanor, that there was a certain dolorous 
8 Tc, p. 11. 
19 Nature it Leaflet, Biol. Ser. I, Worcester, Mass., 1898, p. 11. 
20L.c¢., p. 10. 
2% Third Ann. Rep. on the Insects of Missouri, 1871, p. 148. 
2 Am. Nat., 10, 1876, p. 8. 
