296 NATURE STUDY AND LIFE 



commonly called lizards. But lizards are always covered 

 with horny scales, somewhat like the skin of a snake. We 

 have no common lizards in the northern states, although 

 they are numerous farther south. The little chameleon 

 and the "horned toad," often brought north as curiosities, 

 are lizards. Possibly one of the children has a specimen 

 and can bring it to school to make this difference clear. 

 Lizards and salamanders are shaped much alike, but if the 

 skin is smooth, like that of a frog, we will call the animal 

 a salamander or newt, not a lizard. 



Taking our study of the toad as the life type, we may 

 apply similar methods to investigating any frogs and sala- 

 manders ; and we will choose such as are most worthy of 

 our study. This is a great field, almost wholly unknown. 

 Any feeding test with one of these animals, by using a 

 variety of insects, is likely to yield knowledge to the class 

 that is valuable and that no one else in the world knows. 

 It is safe to say that all these animals are harmless, i.e., 

 not venomous or likely to injure by biting ; that, with one 

 or two exceptions to be noted below, they are all valuable 

 insect destroyers, each for its peculiar haunts ; and that 

 they should be generally protected and utilized as benefi- 

 cent forces in nature. It is with this point in view that 

 the general study of them is advocated ; that as each fact 

 — their harmlessness, their usefulness, their varied beau- 

 ties, their interesting ways and lives — comes to be gener- 

 ally known and appreciated they may be treated from 

 motives of conscience and humanity rather than from 

 those of ignorance and prejudice. 



In order to start the children intelligently on these 

 interesting researches, I shall give, in scarcely more than 



