330 THE TOAD AS AN ENTOMOLOGIST. 
subject, a few remarks on the habits of the toad may not be unin- 
teresting. 
From the earliest accounts relating to this creature it has always 
been looked upon by the people as ugly, hideous, and venomous, 
while even supernatural powers have been attributed to it. Thus 
an old author says: “If the toad burrowed near the root of a 
tree every one who ate a leaf of that tree would die, and if he 
only handled it, would be struck with sudden cramps.” Some of 
the antidotes recommended for toad venom are the following : 
Black hellebore, powdered crabs, the blood of the sea-tortoise 
mixed with wine, the stalks of dogs’ tongues, the powder of the 
right horn of a hart, cummin, the vermet of a hare, the quintes- 
sence of treacle and the oil of a scorpion, mixed and taken ad lib- 
itum. ' 
Even in those days when these elaborate prescriptions were in- 
vented some good was acknowledged to exist in the toad. The 
“ toad-stone” is alluded to by Shakespere in the passage : 
“ Sweet are the uses of adversity, 
Which like a toad, ugly and venomous, 
Wears yet a precious jewel in its head.” 
During the middle ages the stone found in the head of this rep- 
tile was popularly believed to be possessed of the power of giving 
warning of the presence of poisons. Fenton, writing in the year 
1569, says: ‘There is to be found in the heads of old and great 
toads a stone they call borax or stelon. This worn in a ring gives 
a forewarning against venom.” Another recommendation the toad 
had in those days was “ its power as a styptic.” Supposing any 
one to fall down and knock his nose against a stone, he could in- 
stantly stop the bleeding if he only had in his pocket a toad that 
had been pierced through with a piece of wood and dried in the 
shade or smoke. All he had to do was to hold the dried toad in 
his hand and the bleeding would immediately cease. The reason 
for this effect is, “ that horror and fear constrained the blood to 
run into its propet place, for fear of a beast so contrary to nature.” 
In our day, however, the properties of this animal are better. 
understood, although to a great extent it is still held to be venom- 
ous by the people, and generally killed wherever it is found. 
Recent investigations go to prove that an acrid secretion covers 
the body of the toad, which is the cause of sore mouths in dogs 
attacking it. One of the great uses of the toad is its propensity 
