S96 
AMKRTCAN AaRICULTURIST, 
fAtTGUST, 
days when this pro¬ 
digious prescription 
was invented, some 
good was acknow¬ 
ledged to exist in the 
toad. It was said to 
have a precious jew¬ 
el in its head, and 
also to have great 
power to slop the 
flow of blood. Says 
one, “ If any one fall 
and knock his nose 
against a stone, he 
can stop the blood, if 
he hold a dried toad, 
in his hand ; because 
the horror and fear 
constrain the blood 
to run into its proper 
place, for fear of a 
beast so contrary 
to human nature.” 
Such nonsense as 
this is now scarcely 
heard, except in 
some ignorant dis¬ 
tricts in Europe, 
where people know 
little more than what 
their ignorant parents 
handed down to 
them. The toad cer¬ 
tainly can not be 
praised for liis beau¬ 
ty, although his eye 
is as bright as a jew¬ 
el ; but like many 
other homely crea¬ 
tures he has rare vir¬ 
tues. He does no 
harm. He may live 
in the garden among 
the most tempting 
bellies and flowers, 
but not one will lie 
pluck : his taste does 
not run that way. 
But let a fly, a bug, 
or a worm show him¬ 
self within reach, 
and the dull stupid 
looking to.ad instant¬ 
ly appears like anoth¬ 
er being; he is all 
animation, and his 
eye glistens with ex¬ 
citement ; his tongue 
is shot from his mouth 
like a flash, and the 
insect disappears 
down the throat of 
the happy toad. His 
tongue is admirably 
contrived for this 
use. Its base or root 
is fastened at the en- ' 
trance of the mouth, 
“YOU HIT 
If these two little boys could be properly trained they 
would rnahe splendid fighters. They look strong, hardy, 
resolute, and full of pluck. The world needs plenty of 
just such men as these may beeome. They are wanted 
to meet and conquer danger and difflculty in thousands 
of places ; to fight the great waves of the ocean and to 
make them bear ships safely to port; to level mountains 
that are in the way ; to force the earth to give up its pre¬ 
cious ores : to compel barren fields to yield plentiful har¬ 
vests ; to restrain the winds, guide the lightnings, and 
make a slave of steam ; to struggle against error and 
wrong ; to endure persecution ; in short, to win trinmidis 
by making the world better, wiser, and happier. For all 
these great works, just those qualities are needed, which, 
when wrongly trained, make men brutal bullies. See in 
the picture how the dog enjoys the prospect of a fight; 
the boys are putting their combativeness to a wrong use. 
They may win ap[>lause from dogs, and dog-like people, 
but how much nobler to use their fighting powers in the 
way f/od intended, and tints secure the approbation of all 
the good. Fi.g/it boys ! there are plenty of buttles to win, 
but be sure to fight in the right way. 
•fflic ISistlit “ It was a first command and 
counsel of my earliest youth,” said Lord Erskine, “al¬ 
ways to do what my conscience told me to be a duty, and 
to leave the consequence to God. I hatre always ftfl- 
M E.” —From a Drawing of C. E. Boettcher. 
lowed it, and I have no reason to complain that my obe¬ 
dience to it has been a temporal sacrifice. I have found 
it, on the contrary, the road to prosperity and wealth, 
and I shall point out the same path to my children.” 
Somctliln^ A1>o»t tiae 'Foail. 
The toad is a homely little hunchback, with a rough 
warty skin, and seems at least deserving of pity. But 
like many other nnfurlnnates, lie lias been judged a vil¬ 
lain from ids looks, and fallen a victim to prejudice. No 
more harmless animal lives •, he can not bile, scratch, or 
inflict other injury, yet long chapters of liis supposed 
vices and crimes have been written. One writer says ; 
“ If lie burrows near the root of a tree, every one who 
eats a leaf thereof will die, or if he only handles it he 
will be strnek with sudden cran;p.” The cause of this 
poison was said to be its liver “ which is very vicious, 
and cansetli the whole body lobe of an ill temperament.” 
Fortunately, however, toads were said to have two liv¬ 
ers, and “altliongh both of them are corrupted, yet one 
is full of jioison, and the other resists poison.” An elTec- 
tnal remedy for toad poison w.as said to be composed of 
“plantain, black helebore, powdered crabs, the blood of 
llie sea-tortoise mixed with wine, the stalks of dogs’ 
tongues, the vermet of a hare, the quintessence of trea¬ 
cle, and the oil of a scorpion mixed 1” But even in the 
the tip end when at 
rest pointing dowm 
the animal’s throat. It is covered with a sticky slime, to 
which the insect adheres if hit; and then the vic¬ 
tim makes a very rapid journey to the toad’s stomach. 
Gardeners will do well to encourage the visits of these 
insect killers. Entomologists may also procure many 
rare specimens by killing the toad and examining the in¬ 
sects which he has swallowed. The next time you find , 
a toad, try his expertness with a few bugs and worms; 
observing his habits vvili give much pleasure. Perhaps ' 
by becoming well acquainted with him, you may chance 
to see him change liis coat and pants, which lie does oc¬ 
casionally—curiously enough, when he takes off his old 
skin, he rolls it into a ball and swallows it! ; 
All Aiietloneer was selling a library at auction. 
He was not very well read in books, but he scanned the 
lilies, trusted to luck, and went ahead. “ Here you j 
have” he said, “ Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progre.ss; how ■ 
much’m I offered for it? ’Tis a first-rale book, gentle¬ 
men, with six superior illustrations ; how much do I hear? 1 
All about the Pilgrims by John Bunyan ! Tells where | 
they come from, an’ where tliey landed, an’ what they i 
done nrirr they landed ! Here’s a picter of one of'em | 
going about Plymouth peddlin’ loith a pack on his back !” j 
\ MAN proves himself fit to go higher, who shows that i 
lie is faithful where he is. I 
