138 FROGS AND TOADS 



The Northern Tree Frog^ is oui- best and most com- 

 mon representative of this large Family. It is 2 inches in 

 length, and in cloudy weather, especially when storms are 

 gathering, its cheerful, bird-like call is universally regarded 

 as a harbinger of rain. It is not a high climber, seldom as- 

 cending more than 20 feet from the ground. Its colors match 

 tree-bark so closely it requires very sharp eyes to find it, and 

 when seen it usually is believed to be a knot. 



In croaking, its vocal sac swells to enormous proportions. 

 Mr. W. Lyman Underwood has been successful in photograph- 

 ing this animal at the instant of utterance, and his very inter- 

 esting picture is reproduced herewith. 



THE TOAD FAMILY 



Bufonidae 



North American toads are distinguished from frogs by 

 their rough, wart-covered backs, their dull colors, large and 

 puffy bodies, smaller hind feet, shorter hind legs, lack of 

 agility, and their land-going habits. The hopping amphib- 

 ians which every summer shower brings out on sidewalks and 

 country paths, usually are toads. Altogether, there are 

 about eighty-five species, mostly tropical. The majority live 

 upon land, a few burrow into the earth, and a few live in the 

 water. There are many species so frog-like that it is difficult 

 to note the characters (chiefly of internal anatomy) which dis- 

 tinguish them. 



The Common Toad^ niay stand as the representative of 

 the Toad Family of North America. The long-legged, lightly 



' Ily'la vcr'si-col-or. ^ Bu'fo len-iig-i-no'sus. 



