The Republican journal., 1871-07-06
VOLUME Al.


The toad is a much abused animal. For
the benefit of those who are not aware of
The great Notwithstanding propensities of
| this not beautiful little animal, we publish
the following facts
The question of toads VS. insects is sure
to come up, and perhaps all experiment of
mine Oh the capacity of toad, may be of
interest. DR.. Il. W. Harris, remarked to
me some twenty years ago, that he sup
posed the odor Of the squash bug (Coreus
triStis) would protect it from the toad, and
to test the matter | offered one to a grave
looking butto under a cabbage. lie seized
it eagerly, but spit it out instantly, reared
up on his hind legs ana put his fore feet on
the top of his head for an instant, as if in
pain, and then disappeared across the gar
den in series of the greatest leaps | ever
saw a toad make. Perhaps the bug bit the
bitter. Not satisfied with this, hunted up
another old toad, who lived under the
/ piazza, and always stunned himself in one
place in the grass, and offered him Il fine
squash bug, which he swallowed, winking
in very satisfied manner. Twenty other
fine bugs soon followed the first, with no
difficulty nor hesitation in taking nor swal-
lowing, though, from his wrigglng and con-
tortions afterward, it seemed rs il their
CoIutlS uiu not Sel wen Wtbllln he Slock
OF bugs being then exhausted, | found n
colony of smooth black Larvae on white
birch, each about three quarters of an inch
long, and fed him over hundred of them
Touching one of them with the end of a
straw, it would coil around it, and then
when shaken before him, he would seize
and swallow 1t, at first eagerly, but With dl-
minished zest as the number increased, un-
til it became necessary to rub the worm
against his lips some time before he could
decide TO take it. He would then take it
and sit with his lips jar for short time,
gathering strength and resolution, and then
swallow by desperate effort.
There is no telling what the number or
result would have been, but the dinner bell
rang as the one hundred and first worm dis
appeared, and by the close of the meal he
had repaired to his den; nor did he appear
for four days in his summing place. 1t is to be
hoped he slept well, but there might have
been nightmare. Entomoogist and Bota-
INST.
We make the following extracts from
some passages in Fogt's book son NoN-
ious and Beneficial Animals" which are
quoted at full length in the fourth number
Of lie Naturaliste Canatiien. For the benc-
tit of the American reader, we translate
from the original French:
"A remarkable TACT has lately been pub
lished in the newspapers. There is actually
considerable commerce in toads between
France and England. toad of good size
and in fair condition will fetch a shilling
(twenty-tlve cents in the London market, |
and a dozen of extra quality are worth one
pound sterling Give dollars). ou may see
these imported toads in all the market gar
denS where the soil is moist, and the owners !
OF those gardens even prepare shelter for |
them. Many grave persons have shaken
their heads, when they heard of this new
whim of the English; but those laugh the |
best who laugh thelast. This time |
the English are in the right. | used |
to have in my garden brown
toad rs big as my fist. In the evening he
would crawl out Of his hiding place and |
travel over q bed in the garden kept |
careful watch over him; but one day an
unlucky woman caught sight of him and |
killed him with a single stroke of her spade,
thinking that she had done Il very fine thing |
He had not been dead many weeks, before |
the Snails ate up ali the mignonette that |
formerly pertumed everything round that
bed
American Entomologist.