2S BROOKLYN iNSTrriTic .Mr,si-:r:\i . sciknck bi'i.i.I'Tin 2. .v 
The skin of a toad is co\-ered with projectior.s that are Hke smooth 
warts. The two largest ones are situated behind the e>-es and are called 
the ]iarotoids. The jirojections contain glands which produce an acrid 
juice. A toad is not at all ])oisonous, and its touch cannot produce warts 
or am- other kind of skin trou1)le. lint the taste of the secretion of its 
skin glands is evidentlx un]ile:f. int tn dogs. A l>U]iiiy that nnce grasps 
a toad will quicklx' druji it with evident distaste, and will not touch one 
again with its mouth. Hut snne snakes prefer toads to any other kind 
of food. If it were nnt for snakes and other natural enemies, toads 
would oxerrun the land to an extent thit ma>- be imagined after seeing 
tlie numbers of > oung that appear after a Fourth of Jul\- rain. 
A toad isone of the farmer's best friends. \\'atch a toad in the early 
evening while it hunts for Hies aniuml the doorsteii and fre(pienll\ gi\-es 
low i^eeiis of i)leasuix'. Its aiijietite is insatiable, and its aim unerring as 
it darts (lut its tnugue and sei/es the unsuspecting flies. It is also fond 
of cutworms and cither crawling things that destro>- garden vegetables. 
2. Sl'AI)b:F(>()T TOAD 
Saj^/nopiis ln>lbivol;i Harlan 
I.eii.iCth of l,o(ly b.,v. t.. 7.'. • cciitiiiKti-rs 12,5^ to ,^ inchesl. I'....ly stout and 
eoverea witli very fiiit- lubL-rck-.s. I'aroloiu gkni.lb round. Head short and wide. 
Eyes prominent and very retractile. Pupils vertical. Color aliovc, ilark liroun 
streaked with longitudinal bands of yellow. Underside, white or jiink. .\ prominent 
digging projection on the innt-r ^^^V^v of the hind foot. 
A iiuid imdille, or a temj.drarx ].u,,l forr.ied 1.\ a pn.l.mged ram in 
earl\ A]iril sometimes swarms with toads that groan and scpiawk in a 
most uni.leasant manner. I'.ach s.|uawk is like the groan made 1)\- a 
(lee]i-\diced man ha\-ing a l<H>lh jmlled. It may also lie com|iared to the 
squawk made b\ a l)ig rooster caught in the night. Such a s<.iuid 
coming from a tem])orar\ piml in April is almost siuel\ the \dice of a 
sjiadef oot toad . 
A sjiadefoot toad makes its noise while it lies sprawled on tlie sur- 
face of the water. When it begins to sing, it suddenl\ distemls its 
throat into a white ]ioUch tliat is about double the diameter of its head. 
The result is that the pouch. Iloating on the water, lifts the toad's head 
up suddenlx while the hinder parts of the b.Kl\ sink beneath the siu-face. 
At the expiration of the sonnd. the toad liolis back to its sprawUng 
].ositi.m. h:ach vocal effort lasts about a second. An actixe toad will 
repeat the sound about e\er\ ten seconds. A spadefoot singing in a ])ool 
