The Toad Amphibians 
meant to discourage its enemy from swallowing it, 
but snakes do not seem to be affected by it. The 
toad is not slimy, but is perfectly dry and pleasant 
to handle. It especially likes to have its back 
scratched gently. 
The way to enjoy a pet toad is to have him estab- 
lished in your garden, and then watch him. He has 
an interesting way of working himself down into the 
soil backwards, thus making himself a hiding place 
during the day; but he will come out in the late 
afternoons and evenings, and catch any insects that 
may be feeding upon the garden plants. In the 
winter he burrows deep in the ground and goes to 
sleep. He is a great jumper, and a rapid, graceful 
swimmer. He is fond of music, especially if it is 
sweet and melodious. Perhaps this is because he. 
is such a good singer himself; his crooning trill 
forms one of the most pleasing notes of the pond 
chorus in the spring. 
The mother toad places her eggs at the bottom of 
pools and quiet streams; she lays them in long 
jelly-like strings during May and June. The develop- 
ment of the little tadpoles from the eggs is most 
interesting to observe. The tadpole is a creature 
fitted to live in the water. Its long, flat tail, sur- 
rounded by a fin forms an effective swimming organ. 
At first it breathes by gills, but in its later stages. 
develops air-breathing lungs. When the tadpole 
is a month or so old, the hind legs begin to show. 
Two weeks later the arms may be seen, the left. 
one pushing out through the breathing pore. Mean- 
while, the tail is being absorbed and becomes shorter 
and shorter. At last, some warm, rainy day, we 
find the tadpole changed’ to a tiny toad, with a big 
head, thin body and stumpy tail; it swims ashore, 
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