Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1868-07-10
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ny GRACE GREENWOOD.

ny GRACE GREENWOOD.
One of the most dsinterested, dislilIcd,
and ill-used Of reptiles is the toad yet il is
not only peaceful and harmless citizen of
the animal republic, but n very servicable
creature to man, as the destroyer of many
noxious insects.
Skilful gardeners arc aware Of the use
fulness of these "tailless batrachians," as
naturalists call toads and frogs; and are
glad to employ them as police force, to
patrol their hot-beds and snap up ants,
bugs, and worms, hurtful to plants.
Entomolgists make use of toads as traps
to catch certain rare kinds of beetles, that
only venture out at night. In the morning
they are constrained by an emetic, or some
yet more violent means, to disgorgc their
yet undigested repasts-a proceeding 1
should call outrageous, were not great
questions and interests of science at stake.
From the toad's point of view it is doubt
less very dirty piece of tyranny.
The toad feeds on insects of all sorts and
kinds-not being at all particular, except
that its little victim must be alive and stir
ring. It will not touch the daintiest moth,
or the tenderest young fly, if dead. 1t
leaves such prey to a coroner's jury of ants,
or Mr.. Undertaken Beetle. 1t remains per-
fectly still, watching an insect with its
brilliant eyes dts sole Beauty, till the
thoughtless little thing comes within reach
of its tongue, which then darts out, and
whisks Mr.. Fly out Of sight in an instant.
The play of loads tongue is so rapid that
your eye cannot follow it it comes and
goes in tiny red flashes, like a small varie-
| ty of lightning.
The BtJo vulgdriS, or common toad, is
certainly not comely to look upon, nor par
ticularly lovely in his life but he is nei-
| ther poisonous nor ill-tempered. He has
in some ofhis wart-liie excrescences an ac-
rid fluid, which he can give out on occa-
sions, and which is his sole means of self
| defense. There are two small protuber-
ances just back of the head, that he uses
most effectively in this offensive spouting.
If rash dog attacks toad and takes him
in his mouth, as he takes a rat, he is apt TO
drop him as he would hot potato-not rel
ishing the singing dose he gets. But the
dog never dies of the bite, though some
| times the toad does.
Many of the old painters, poets, and wri-
tcrs make toads the companions of sorcer-
crs and witches, with snakes and black cats.
| \ toad is the first ingredient that the witch
es in "Macbeth" fling into the cauldron,
where they were making their diabolical
stew. As she tosses him in, the old witch,
adding insult TO injury, sings:
I
"Toad, that under coolest stone
DAYS and nights hast thirty-one
Sweltered venom, sleeping got,
| Boil thou first in the charmed pot
Now all this is superstition and rank po-
| ctry. 1t is no more true that the toad is
venomOus than that he carries in his head
"a rich jewell" as Mr.. Shakespeare else
where says. He is a steady-going, honest
fellow, ugly, but virtuous, and no more
takes to witches and sorcerers than you or
I. As for keeping company with snakes, I
am confident that lie doesn't do it, for the
very reason that sensible antelopes should
decline to associate on intimate terms with
anacondas. He knows that a good-sized
snake would swallow him, without salt or
ceremony would make no bones of it.
I remember that my brother and 1,
when we were children, once camo across
a snake Of so portly a shape and so slug
| gish in movement that our suspicious were
aroused. We thought that there had been
some sort of foul play with the young birds
of tree overhead. So my brother, who
was destined to be doctor, fixing the muir
derer to the ground with split sticks, per-
formed n surgical operation upon him in a
manner neat and skilful, and highly salts
factory, at least, to the imprisoned prey-a
toad who, hopped out of his disagreeable
quarters as brisk rs Jonah Apparently
he was none the worse for his adventure,
which may have furnished him with good
story for the rest of his life. 1t may be his
friends and toadies grew heartily tired o
hearing him start OFF with, "Speaking o
snakes, aid you ever hear; or, "Wher
was down in the snakes belly"
You ask, what about the unfortunat,
snake? Well, he died in spite of all th'
efforts Of science. Life made a slow retrea
down his whole length, to the tip of hi
tail where il fingered till sundown, ther
gave a convulsive wriggle and went out.
Tuads are capable of friendly sentiments
and can be domesticated. For severa
years, one lived Just under the pantry win
dow at our old homestead and would ca
the bread-crumbs that were given to HIM
II was a damp place, and large toad-stool
grew near, and remember l used to thinl
ho sat on them, of course but / neve
caught him at II. l believe they are an
other superstition. This toad was though
to be one Of tho oldest inhabitants of thos'
parts. He was very stout, seemed stiff an,
gouty, and had but one eye, which gave
} him rather Il sinister aspect.
Willis, the poet, had at his lovely home
called "Glen-Mary," a pet toad, whicl
f haunted, season after season, particula
path through the lawn. When Mr.. Will
left this dear spot, he commended his port
ly protogo to the kind tolerance of the mex
proprietor-bcgged him, when mowingth
I lawn, to remember the poor old toad
/ whereabouts, and not "slice him up" wit
} the scythe.
f remember pleasant little story of tn
0 Duke Of Wellington offering to feed for
week the pet toad of little friend, Will
Q ! the child was obliged TO be absent. Woot
: in his Natural History, tells of pet toa
Q which had lived for years in a family, an
5 suppod daintily every night ON Jumps {
p sugar.
: There is great deal that is queer abol