The Terrarium Invertebrates 
number of days, until it was thoroughly dried out. 
Then bird-seed was planted and the ground was 
watered thereafter with a small plant syringe. This 
gave sufficient, but not excessive moisture, and it was 
one of the pleasures of the children to imitate a rainy 
day in the terrarium world. And it was a pleasing 
experience, for there were splashes of water on the 
glass sides and many shining drops on the netting and 
verdure, which soon grew several inches tall; there 
was the same delightful odor of rich, fresh earth that 
one enjoys during summer rains, and the sunshine 
touched with brilliancy the gay fall flowers and the 
gorgeous outspread wings of the butterflies. 
It was now early in November and each day found 
one or more of the terrarium inhabitants missing. 
One of the caterpillars disappeared and a cocoon 
made of its own hair was found in its place; several 
chrysalids were found on the top of the terrarium; 
the butterflies and the grasshoppers, one by one, went 
into that sleep from which there is no awakening; 
and a number of other creatures disappeared. The 
children finally concluded that the latter had gone to 
sleep in the ground. ‘The grasshoppers and the tree- 
toads were the last to take their rest, but just before 
they answered Mother Nature’s call to slumber, a 
large garden toad came to bear them company. 
He was a very interesting toad for he bore signs 
of having lived through what must have been almost 
a tragedy. He had lost the lower half of one front 
leg and had the scar of a long gash on his throat. 
These disfigurements seemed not to cause him the 
least unhappiness, for he had a very bright wide- 
awake expression and was as plump and complacent 
as a toad should be. The loss of his leg caused him 
a little inconvenience, for he sometimes lost his 
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