The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-09-15
ABOUT TOADS.


How They Catch and DISPOSE of Their
Tooh.-The Gardeners Friend - Chang
Ing Their Clothes. ~ y i
Did YOU ever sit quietly and watch q
soad catching his support II not, just
Try it, and you will find that it is a
very interesting as well as an amusing
sight There he sits, on the edge OF
The path, his bright, bulging eyes fixed
mtently on fly that has just aIighted
close to him--so very close. in fact,
ahat YOU wonder what the toad is wait
ing for, since he has only to dart out
his tongue and whisk the fly down his
throat; but he does not do it. No; ne
stays motionless, his eyes twinkling
with eagerncss; and if only that fly
knew what we know, the toad would
never touch him, for all he has to do
~ to keep perfectly still until his foe
grows tired of waiting. Yes, that is
ahe secret Of the toad's delay. What
ever the insect that he has selected for
his supper, it is safe from destruction
until it moves; but then. 10! it is gone
ike flash, The culver of wing,
the twitching of leg, is enough to
precipitate its doom. e.c 4}s,r
We wonder how many people take
heed OF the fact that the despised little
soad is one OF the gardeners most val
ued friends, and that he is regular
night watchman over the vegetable
gardens? Very few of us know what
very useful fellow this creature is,
although some are waking up to the
knowledge of it, and among these wise
folks are the undergraduates Of Lon
don and Paris, who know their value
80 well that they buy them BY the
Dozen and turn them into their hot
beds, thus preserving their plants from
insects. Not only in our gardens are
soads extremely useful, but in our
houses they are valuable allies; for
1hey do no harm to us, but very much
70 our sworn enemies, such as cock
reaches, moths, crickets, flies, mos
suitoes and ants. They need but to
see an insect stir, and out flashes that
wonderful tongue. And, presto!
where is ite Why, down in the little
throat, landed at the exact spot where
the muscles can seize it and pass it at
snce to the stomach. And so rapidly
is this done that when a large insect,
like a cricket, grasshopper or beetle,
Is swallowed, the sides of the toad may
be seen actually twitching. from the
struggles of its still lively victim.
Entomologists press our friend the
toad into their service in manner
that is as novel as it is comical They
catch him at daybrcak from the field
or garden, kill him, and turn his stom-
nch wrong side out in a pan of water.
OF course all the recently-caught in
Sects float to the surface, at the ento-
biologists service. This looks like a
rrther cruel method of studying
entomology, does it notp But the truth
i, that the humble little toad is a more
expert catcher and discoverer than his
human superior. and out of his rifed
stOre-house come treasures in the
shape of rare and tiny nocturnal in
sects that but for his industry would
never have been known or classified by
eur savants. IS ra ro pairs.
1t is not alone winged insects that
the toad feasts upon. There is moth
nag he likes better, for change of
diet, than nice, fat worm, and, as
ihe children say, ''it is us good as a
play" to see him eating worm --one
chat wriggles and twists and squirms
As If it knew it had fallen into the
hands of a relentless enemy. And il
Is literally the hands OF its captor that
arc fatal to it, for it would be simply
impossible for the toad to swallow his
Sr.gging victim. did he not use his
bra paws exactly as we use our hands.
As :, is. he is subiimely Indifferent to
His = ui.ming. He sits calmly down
git. ii in HIS mouth, lifts one paw,
aiut gives it push further into hi;
Houli, and then he swallows, and
aou it gees, just little'way. Then
AZ com the other paw for another
pus.. and at last, by alternate pushes
AN swallows, the poor worm van.
shes. and our toad sits quietly at ease,
wit, all tie satisfaction OF full stom.
ach twinkiing in his eyes.
u any one suppoSes that our friend
he 20 IS Obliged to wear but one suit
Of go ..ws ali, his life, that person is mis-.
taken. He orders complete new outii,
every ROW and then. of mos. exper,
worl-Woman, o4e Dame Nature; and
as ior his Old suit, he well, we viii
Sc, how he takes it off first, before dis
pos ng of it. which he does in most
ani Tie manner Dame Nature, work
NC silently and secretly. ar is her way,
naSss him a new suit beneath the OLD
orc, and then kindly helps him to re-
move the oulgrown garments. so tc
g5eak. This done. our toad commences
~ undress by rubbing his elbows hard
against his sides, and pressing down
ward. Directly, the old suit bursts
open along his back. and he keeps on
mbhing until he has worked it all il
bids on his sides and hips; then h
seizes one of his hind legs with hi
s,hands," and hauls off one leg OF hi
srouserss and next the other leg i
served in the same way. Before h