Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-09-03


A scientist, DR.. Thomas Hill, at Portland
stated the following on the eighth day of the
session Of the association
In the summerslof 1913 As an old toad used to
ait under tho door Of a beehive every fine morn
ing, and dexterously pick up those bees who
were laden, or tired or missed the doorstep and
fell to the ground.
When onr toad gets into his mouth part Of an
insect too large for his tongue to thrust down
his throat, (and have known Of their attempt
ing wounded hummlng bird, , he resorts to the
nearest stone or clod, and prosseH the protrud-
ing part OF his mOuthful against it and thus
cTOwdHl 1t down his throat. This can be observed
at any time by tying lOcust's hind legH together
and throwing it before a toad. On one occasion
| gave yellow striped" locust to little toad
in it1 second summer, when he was ia the mid
die Of very wide gravel walk. In a moment
he had tho locusts head down his throat it's
hinder parts prOtruding, and looking around for
stone or clod, but finding none at hand in
either direction, he bowed his head and crept
along, pushing the locust against the ground
But the angle with the ground was too small and
my walk too we'll rolled. To increase the angle
he Strengthened his hind legn up, but in VAN
At length he threw up his hind quarters and ac-
tually stood on his head, rather on the locust
sticking out Of biz mouth, and after repeating
this once Or twice succeeded in getting himself
outside Of hin dinner.
was tossing fonr-year-old toad (at Antioch
college, earthworms while digging and present.
ly threw him 10 large specimen that he was
obliged to attack one iend only That end Was
instantly Transferred to his stomach, the other
end writing free in air and cooled about the
toads head. He waited until his writings gave
him chance, swallowed half an inch then TAX
ing NIP with his jaws waited for chance to
draw ia another half inch. But there was no
many half inches to dispose OF that at length hit
jaws grew tired lost their frmness Of grip, and
the worm crawled ont five eighths Of an inch
between each half inch swallowing. The toaC
perceYihg tins, brought his night hard to aid hi
jaws, graBplng his abdomen with ,hls foot and
by a little effort getting hold Of the worm in hir
stomach from the outside, he thus by his foot
held fast to what gained by each swallow, anC
presently succeeded in getting the worm entirely
down.
garter snake was observed this summer il
North Conway pushing toad down bis throat b,
running It against the olods and stones lust al
tho toad crowds down locust.
The amount winch toad can eat is surprising
On Iuesday threw a Bqnashbus to q youn[
toad. He snapped ii up, but Immediately reject.
cd 1t, wiped his mouth with great energy am
then hoped away with extraordinary rapiditv
was re much amused that gathered some NOR,
Of the HOwbug aud carried them to a faynrite oli
toad at the northeast corner Of the hnpae n,
ate Thorn all without any wry faces | yAthere,
all that could hnd on my vines aud he ate then
all, to the number OF ~. | then bruuvbt rim
some laryin Of pyBaera menistra, three quarter,
grown, and aucceded in euticing him to put .
on the top OF his squahhbngs. Finding that bi
virtue was not Iproof against the caterpillar