The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-24


afraid of these fluids, and imagine them
poisonous. They are mistaken. Not even
Macbeth s'weird sisters could now find venom
in the common toad. II is true, however, that
these juices have a slightly irritating effect
when applied to the eyes or to flesh wound,
and that a cat or dog does not like to take a
second taste. But they are substantially
harmless.
There are foreign toads whose fluids are less
harmless Thus, Rev. Mr.. Stanley of Eng
land found that ink was changed by them as
by acids. Monsieur Bose, French naturalist,
tells us that if, in hot weather, any one puts
his hand to his nose (his o,cR nose, not
that Of Monsieur Bosc) after handling
toad, he will feel nausea, and other
disturbances of the stomach; and Schel-
hammer another continental writer, re-
lates an anecdote of a child who had severe
pustulous eruption, in consequence of a toad
having been held for some minutes before the
childs mouth The ndticr.jdck, or buto Gala
mitd, which is found in England and on the
continent of Europe, and also the brown toad
of Southern Europe, smell disgustingly, the
one like gunpowder, the other like garlic,
when disturbed, and people who 'snifF' at
them may be nauseated; but no such odor or
effect belongs to the common toad of either
England or the United States.
Not only did "Macbeth's' witches use toads
to make their 'hell- broth" ''thcl and slab''
of more recent date, have employed both toads
and frogs in pharmacy and medicine. The
flesh of toads, dried and powdered, used to be
considered diuretic and diaphoretic. l have
read the statement of living English doctor
| that ''frog-spawn may be usefully employed in
| external inflammation as soothing and emol-
| lient" Formerly toads flesh macerated in oil
was regarded as detersive and anodyne. Live
toads used to be applied topically for headache,
| collie, and cancer. Ettmuller, Joel, Vallesneri,
! and many others, have left us curious details
| on this subject. Timotheus directed the appli-
cation of frogs, cut in two alive, to the region
| of the kidneys of dropsical patients. Diosco-
| rides prescribed the flesh of frogs cooked in
| salt and oil as an antidote for the poison of
| serpents. Arnold affirmed that the heart of
| frog, taken daily, in the form of a pill, was
| cure for fstula, and the London Encyclopedia
| ("Crcdat Juduus dpetla, non ego'D atiirms that
some Americans take the land frog Of Catesby,
reduce it to powder, mix it with orris root,
| and take it as a cure for fatulency
Both toads and frogs have the same curious
habit of swelling up and putting themselves
out when alarmed by seemingly hostile ap-
| prOach. HsOp had noticed this habit in the
fog, and makes use of it in his fable of the
| Frog and the Ok. | have often mischievously
amused myself by wriGgling a sack, snake
| fashion, towards toad, in order to see him
bloat and bulge out, and stand on tip
toe, apparently trying to make himself
| appear to be too large to be swallowed
Generally the toad's courage fails before the
| stick gets very near, and he, like another we'll
known bloated character, believing that the
better part of valor is discretion turns tail,
and hops away with headlong speed and
length of hop utterly ridiculous.
1t is curious to observe that, while the COM
mon toad of the United States hops, the com
mon toad of England does not hop but cra,ols,
and that the nGtter-jdcE or Jut0 cdiamitd, which
is the only other kind of toad found in Eng
land, neither hops nor crawls, but runs much
like a mouse. All of them, however, have
the same habit of blowing themselves up on
the appearance of danger. May not
the Latin name for toad, which is
buto coupled with this swelling swaggel
common to toads and testers, or clowns
on exhibition, have given the name of Ju6oo1
to that amusing class of personages
Children who are frightened by the rough
skin and uncouth movements of toads, and who
see them eagerly devouring worms and insects
are very apt to believe that toads have teeth
But neither English nor American Juto Uugari
has any such addition to jaw, tongue, OF
palate. | have explored their mouths will
the zeal of dentist, but never found fang o.
tooth, incisor or canine, bicuspid or mOlar
1t is worth while to see a toad eat an angle
worm-using his forepaws as greedy chilC
his fingers, to cram his mouth and get the
whole worm tucked in before he begins t.
swallow 1t is still more amusing to see
toad wriggle off and devour his own skin.
This cutaneous thanksgiving feast occurs
once a year. The skin comes off in latera
halves, and is crammed eagerly, one-half afte
the other, into the owners mouth, and swal
lowed with great apparent zest.
Every toad, like every frog, is, or should be
born in water. If the female can possibly ge
to the water she will always deposit her eggs
which resemble long threads of jelly, studded
with minute beads, in either pond or stream
Sometimes, it is true, they are laid in cellars
or other places away from water. But in sucl
cases the tOads that may be hatched from
them do not pass through the regular tad
pole state.
Early in the spring the toad, who at every
other period avoids the water, goes there tC
deposit her eggs. Then it is that we heal
those piping, shrilling, far-reaching, and moi
unmusical sounds, from every lake, pond
river, stream, ditch, and pool, which tell VI
that spring has come again, and which have
induced some naturalists to call our American
toad the Buto muSicuS. About twenty days
after the eggs are laid they become tadpoles
purwiggies, pOrWiggles, poliwigs, or, as Yam
kee boys say, pOllywO9s. The tadpOle period
unlike the tadpole's tail, is very short. Will,
it lasts the Juvenile toad swims and breathe
like fish, having at first tail only, with
which to row, scull, or steer Speedily hi
legs develop themselves and, presently, thu
tail, as if conscious OF its misplaced attach
ment, first falls away, and next falls off,
("Oh, waterfall is there, my coun
trymen !')-The gills close up, the lungs arr
z.