42 THE FJRESII-WATEK AQUAKIUM. 



youth as tadpoles, in the water, and funny little creatures 

 they arc, when they first get their legs. Sonic I have 

 found, scarcely half an inch in length, with delicately mot- 

 tled grey and black backs ; and though not so brilliant in 

 color as their cousins, the frogs, are pretty animals, what- 

 ever Shakspeare may say to the contrary. 1 can never 

 agree with him that the toad is " ugly and venomous." 

 Ugly it is not, according to my mode of viewing it, and 

 though modern naturalists may have found out that the 

 liquid secreted by the skin of the toad is venomous, yet I 

 consider that he has been very unfairly treated when con- 

 demned to the companionship of witches, wizards and such 

 like, to be made use of, when wanted, to help in the 

 formation of such a stew as was prepared for the special 

 benefit of Macbeth by the weird sisters. That the toad 

 " bears yet a precious jewel in his head " is not true, in 

 the common acceptation of the term, but he is himself a 

 jewel of great value, being, like the frog, one of nature's 

 scavengers, ministering to the well being of us all, in re- 

 moving substances which would otherwise decay and cause 

 disease. Indeed, I have found that with having three or 

 four " tads," I have been able, for a length of time, to 

 dispense with snails, as they will not only eat the decaying 

 vegetation, but will lick the glass clean with their formid- 

 able lower jaws, which are armed with several fine sets 

 of teeth. And they will do what most of the snails will 

 not, they will eat decaying animal matter ; for I have 

 found fish, that have died from some accident or other, 

 all eaten but their bones, by my friends, the " tads." A 

 friend informs me that he has been in the habit of clean- 



