1 Frs., 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 141 
per cent. by bulk of each class of food was then estimated, and the data as to 
character and amount were noted. The contents of the stomach of a toad— 
that is, the organic contents—are often mixed with inorganic substances, but 
this is merely a fortuitous circumstance, and is not due to any necessity for a 
supply of mineral matter for trituration purposes, as in the case of fowls and 
alligators. Ihave seen large quantities of stones, from 10 lb. weight down- 
wards, taken from the stomach of a single alligator, but the toad requires no 
such violent aids to digestion. That process goes on with remarkable swiftness, 
as may be inferred from the quantities of food devoured in a single night by the 
latter animal. ‘That food consists of beetles, worms, cockroaches, wasps, 
caterpillars, slugs, ants, &e. 
A toad I lately caught in my bushhouse for examination appeared to have 
fed mainly on worms which occur there in great numbers. As to cockroaches, 
the toad will destroy them in large numbers, but I question whether its 
services are of much avail against the very large cockroaches which occur in 
some of our houses, for I placed one in a disused brick-oven in the kitchen 
which swarmed with cockroaches, some of very large size. The poor toad was 
gone next day; and as there was no possible outlet by which an animal of the 
toad’s size could have got out, the inference was that the large cockroaches 
attacked, killed, and devoured it. 
We have not space to give the whole of Mr. Kirkland’s interesting paper 
on the subject. ‘The lists he gives of insects and other animals found in the 
stomach of a single toad would seem to be marvellous, were it not conclusively 
proved how ravenous the reptile is, and how very rapidly the process of 
digestion proceeds. It will not be out of place to casually remark that the 
Gecko above‘mentioned is also a pretty little reptile of the saurian or lizard 
order, which should be protected and cherished. During the late excessively 
hot weather, having found it often impossible to sleep, I have spent the night 
in writing. Lately a Gecko has taken up its abode in my room, cand I 
noticed it very busy on my table catching quantities of the myriads 
of flying insects, particularly moths, which were attracted into. the 
room by the light. All night long that little fellow has been at work, 
stalking a moth as a cat stalks a mouse. When within striking 
distance, with a sudden spring the Gecko caught its prey, swallowed 
it, and was ready for more. Geckos, when used to the presence of 
man, become perfectly fearless. ‘This one ran over my paper in pursuit of 
ingects, and even caught them on my hand. Another good hunter is the 
praying mantis. One of these was busy catching flies on the table. Tt was 
about three inches long, with wings over an inch and a-half in length. As it 
approached the edge of the table, the Gecko, who happened to be under the 
edge, suddenly caught it by the middle, and there was soon an end of the 
mantis. ‘Toads and Geckos, besides several other ugly-looking but harmless 
animals, are the best friends of man, and should therefore be protected 
instead of being ignorantly destroyed. 
THE USEFUL TOAD. 
Tran the toad is beneficial to the farmer, and particularly to the gardener, is 
admitted by everyone who has observed its habits. Additional facts have been 
secured by recent observation at the Massachusetts Experiment Station, which 
show that 11 per cent. of the toad’s food is composed of insects and spiders 
beneficial or indirectly helpful to man, and 80 per cent. of insects and other 
animals directly injurious to cultivated crops, or in other ways obnoxious to 
man. The toad feeds on worms, snails, sow bugs, common greenhouse pests, 
and the many legged worms which damage greenhouse and garden plots. It 
feeds to some extent on grasshoppers and crickets, and destroys large numbers 
of ants. It consumes a considerable number of May beetles, rose chafers, 
click beetles or adults of the wireworm, potato beetles, and cucumber beetles. 
It is a prime destroyer of cutworms and armyworms. | 
