Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-08-31
EVENING STAR.
I DAD

FROM the earliest recollection Of the Coolest
inhabitants, this little creature has been un-
der the ban, source Of terror in nevery little
miss, an object Of disgust TO maids and ma
irons, by-word and term of reproach to every
old aunt and grandma in the land, who would
never seek further in their vocabulary of op-
probrious terms for a suitable name for little
urchin, than to call him a [" little nasty toad. -
Boys have made it their sport have pecked il
with stones, pierced it through and through
with sharp sticks, substituted 1t in the place
OF ball, upon a bat board, throwing il high
into the air, and exulting in its torture; and
even men IN the field. hoeing their crops, have
been wont to rudely thrust it aside with their
hoes as useless reptile, wondering for what
purpose such loathsome object could have
been created. The toad has been accused CT
being yenomous reptile, ft object of dread
poisoner of choice garden plants, deserving
banlShment from every ones premises. and ft
only to lnhabit an untnhabttabke morass or
desert. The toad has, however, occasionally
been brought into respectable notice by Gu
riosity hunters, AID newspaper paragraph
writers, whenever he has chanced to have
been found In torpid state in the cavity of a
rock, or in the trunk of a tree, in which cases
an antiquity has been ascribed to il equal to
that of the Egyptian mummies, or perl APPS set
down as OF antediluvian origin. In this man.
ner poor toady has gone the rounds of news
paper notoriety, not for any merit or value il
might haYs possessed, but as a matter of mere
curiosity But this poor despised creature has
not been left entirely friendless nor without IN
advocate.
Naturalists have placed him in the scale Of
fn2Qess- where he belongs, and have shown
f8HServing the many opprobriums
ned upon him.
toad is a very useful as
sIstaBt, ~ it devod4SR great number Of in
sects and worms- that prey upon the plants
In the dark of the evening the toad comes
forth from its hiding place, and commences its
work Of determination. Noiselessly il passes
through the garden, regaling itself upon the
insects that have lust begun their nocturnal
work upon the tender plants No one but
those who have observed the movements of
this little animal, can form any estimate Of
Its usefulness. A few evenings since watch
ed one a sh6rt time, and observed that In the
space Of fifteen minutes il devoured some if-
teen or twenty insects, of that class that in the
day time lie concealed from the observation of
the birds, but at night go forth in armies to
carry ON their work of destruction, to lay
waste the gardeners toll. 1t would be a mat
ter of eceHomy for those who till the ground
to provide the toad with suitable place of re-
treat IN the day time, thus virtually saying to
him: "My dear little fellow, value your
services, and will do all L can for your com
fort"
With proper appreciation for his services,
and care for his preservation, the toad viii |
become quite domesticatei, and will continue |
a valuable work, for years, simply for his |
:. board and lodging" Those who wantonly |
destroy the toad, should be ella :sed with those |
who kill harmless and useful birds i
Some twenty years ago, family in Brace
vile, Trunbull county, observed one day, in
the hall of the house, large toad leaping
along In an orderly and moderate way to the |
dining room door. Il entered the room and
took a circuit around, then stationed itself be-
tween a door and n window, and sat there all
day; whenever a Fly came near enough he
would catch it, and as this was quite often,
the work Of determination went on braveiy
sometimes he would spring up foot or more
for hy upon the wall. At sundown he went
out to enjoy the refreshing GOODNESS of the even
ing, and probably the society of his kindred.
The next dgy, to the surprise of the family, !
he came in and took the same place by the
door, and so continued to do during the whole |
summer. The family whose premises were so |
occupied, being aware Of the /
useful and harmless nature of their visitor, /
and being curious to learn its habits, allowed i
it to remain. Thus the toad carried on the |
wa against the flies until autumn, when
they, having Seceme greatly reduced in num-
bers, and it being difhcIlt for him any longer |
W ODIdln supplies Dy forage, ne cOEciuued 70 II
90 into Z" winter quarters" Immediately on I
the opening of the spring campaign, however,
ne was at his old post. His message to the 4
flies, as near as can be ascertained, was,
' Come, and I'll take you" they came, were /
seen, and were swallowed. The enemy being i
numerous, the war was carried on |
IN the same way, and the same place, for six /
years, the toad meanwhile having grown l
strong and increased in stature, and having /
regularly spent every night skylarking.
He was cool and prompt in action, and more
over 9 very slippery antagonist; whenever
any thing was said to him by any person pass
ng his stand, his eyes would twinkle In .
rsry pleasant way. The only weapon he ever
lsed was his tongce, which was very long and /
'ough. The human tongue is known to be
formidable weapon, but no one has beer known
% be swallowed outright by its means, though
great many have been taken in.
Sometimes fly would alight within foot
# tosdy, and sit rubbing its miraculous little
eet with great delight apparently, when the
Dad, initiating the notorious Jefreys, would
: give him a lick with the rough side Of
lis tongue" and the poor fly would be CON-
lemned sed executed instantly.
In one respect, however, the immortal JEFF
reys had the advantage of the toad, for he
,ould " smell Puritan a mile of, " he said, |
While the toad had no sense Of smell appa-
emily, but in point Of practice, all tongue
)kEo Farmer.