The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1867-04-11

toeds are incalculably useful to the or
dsnsr, by protesting his tendsr vinsl
nom their nocturnal dspredations.
Trvs-toads carry on precisely the same
useful fanction IN the tops Of fruit and
forest trsss. Each toe 10 = perfect air.
pump, enabling them to hold to twie
with extreme tsnaclty, As they leap
from branch 10 branch in pursuit oi
game. The top Of the head of the remora,
. marine Ash, = constructed upon the
same principle. They fasten to any
passing fish they chose, and ride ael
libJtssn, like 0lnbad's Old Man Of the
Sea, while there h pleasure In the ex.
cursion.
Neither chemical compositions mol
mechanical appliances, however inssn.
iously contrived, are to be compared
with toads In the destruction Of every
kind Of leaf dsstroying, howsr-gnawing,
and ffuit-bising bugs, diss, and thsil
progeny. BY an inherent predisposi-
tion, no better understood than why
fishes or birds annually migrate, or the
law by which q tortoise unmistakably
finds its companion at the distance Of
miles In locality 1t never saw. or where
the mate was never before conlined, the
toad knows just the haants Of Its prey.
II openings are left under fences they
will ultimately find them, pass into the
garden noiselessly, and commence oper-
ations. II the place 10 satisfactory, and
they are unmolested, their excellent
services may be depended upon through
future successive seasonA
Immediately after an evening shower
they might be collected in baskets and
transferred to the turnip-lot, the cucum-
ber, melon, cabbage, and squash yards.
No educational preparation is required.
If the picking is good they manifest no
desire to leave. In one night q single
toad, taking his position by the vine
hill, would destroy more bugs than thir-
ty active men In twice the number Of
hours. There is no overstatement of
their powers in this commsndatory no.
tice of their beneficial efforts.
Toads and frogs catch their prey with
the point Of the tongue. It IL marvel
ously constructed organ-occupying but
little room just within the tip of the
under-jaw-appearing liksa 4 small fleshy
eminence on prying open the mouth
It is singularly elastic, and may be pro-
jected at the pleasure Of the animal,
from one to six and eight inches, and
perhaps more. Unlike the tongue Of
other animals the point is directed
toward the gullet. The projectile force
is exerted with the quickness of fash
of light. An extremely tenacious secre-
ton exudes from it, so sticky that the
slightest touch with the object to which
it is thrust holds it firmly, while tho
contraction of the fibres instan taneously
delivers the struggling captive exactly
at the opening Of the faucus, where it 10
taken of, a. our teeth detach morsel
from the tines Of fork. The muscular
tissues of the tongue of the nt-bear, the
snout Of the tapir, the cleft upper lip Of
the camel, the tongue of the giraffe, aud
the trunk Of the elephant are similar
in their anatomical composition. Each
serves a. sensitive, prehensile finger.
Again, there is peculiar prominence
Of the eyes in the batrachians. The
globes seem to be fixed quite outside the
skull instead Of being confined within
nrk fo <pfNv fl,nr, ur1fA -
range of vision-fulI two-thirds the arc
of circle. It might be adduced - .
splendid illustration Of Divine care In
making ample provision for securing to
the individual the means for providing
for Its necessities, although . singular
departure from an apparently normal
plan In respect to the visual organs In
other animals. It sees its prey from ali
directions ut the same instant, and cal
culates accordingly. In chameleons
with similar prominence, the eyes
move independently of each other
hence they actually look two ways at
once.
The visual axis, or point when both
eyes meet on the ebject, Is exactly ct the
distal extremity Of the extended tongue;
and 30 it is with the eyes of birds-the
focus Of distinct vision being 1t the tip
Of the bill-thus they see to pick up
very small particles. But the poor toad
of whom we have spoken, whose eye
was picked out by crow, on being
tempted BY q struggling fly on the point
of needle, invariably missed the hit
and as though rejecting upon the cause
of the mishap, turned about an inch tc
the right and struck again, each time
falling short about the same distance
The experimenter who adjusted the
dainty morsel purposely to ascertain
| whether the hungry unfortunate had
reasoning elements, came to the conclu
sion that the difference between instinct
and mental action are not within the
ready grasp of philosophers. In seizine
| ny, for example, on the floor, within
an inch of their nose, the tongue resem
bles q red marrow leaf - 1t 10 thrown ou
scarcely an inch long. Perhaps thu
next insects may be taken seven 1nche.
distant. Thus the distance 10 measured
with an accuracy exceedingly surpris
ing. 1t nevor goes by the object, or fall
short.
Both toads and frogs extrude theil
ova In still water, to be hatChsd BY solar
heat. Toads drop their eggs in water
| ordinarily In those stagnant places occu.
pied by frogs, but the young leave and
never afterward return to It, - soon al
THAR fadr,0lo fro n efCrr.a kfn.n l. Ari.A>A