THE TOAD AS AN ENTOMOLOGIST. 331 
for destroying insects injurious to vegetation. Our gardeners 
ought to introduce them imto their gardens and cultivate the ac- 
quaintance of these creatures, their little trouble in so doing would 
be amply compensated. 
The toad is of a retiring dlaspouldliiiny loving dark corners and 
shady places.. It has a slow, jumping motion, and is of a very 
timid disposition. Numerous instances might be cited of pet 
toads, and of their becoming quite tame. 
The toad differs in some respects from the nearly related frog. 
The structure of the mouth is, however, nearly the same; the 
tongue is attached by the root, as it were, to the base and front 
of the mouth, the tip being reversed and pointing down the throat 
when the animal is at rest. 
_ The moment it sees an insect its eyes brighten and sparkle, the 
toes ‘twitch and quicker than the eye can follow, the tongue is 
thrown out, the insect transfixed, and withdrawn into the mouth. 
Unlike the frog, the toad does not spring after its prey, but re- 
mains seated. Having kept frogs in the aquarium, I have noticed 
that they will spring two or three times their own length from the 
moss to catch a fly on the glass, using their tongue, as it were, on 
the jump. They seldom miss their mark. As far as my experi- 
ence goes, neither of these animals will eat anything without life 
or motion. I have, however, often deceived a frog by moving a 
dead fly in the sight of the creature, which it always took readily. 
Many stories have been told of toads in rocks, and reasons 
have been given by authors as to the way in which they became 
so embedded. My subject has, however, nothing to do with these 
“old great toads,” but to one of our own day and generation. 
After this digression, I shall now introduce my friend, the toad, in 
his capacity as a collector of beetles. 
The true naturalist, in the pursuit of his study, is a very teach- 
able individual; he never refuses assistance from any one, what- 
ever his station in life is, or however meagre his knowledge of the 
science may be. The many ways he uses the animal creation to 
advance his knowledge in the particular branch of study, may be 
illustrated as follows : — 
The conchologist wearies for pleasant "e of summer, to 
take a trip to the sea-side, with his dredges and lines, his bottles 
and store boxes, where he adds to his i Si interesting 
and perhaps new forms of molluscan life. 
