DeSoto times. (Hernando, Miss.) 1879-1898, 1890-01-02
A FOUR-LEGGED ACROBAT,
Comical Antics and Gymnastic Perform.
ance of Little Tree-Toad.

So"ie"i anu OynDdStlC fer1Orm,
ance of a Little TreeToad.
While walking on country road one
cool morning in June l noticed small
object on the edge of board fence
which excited my curiosity. The object
was about two inches long, and looked
like piece of putty which had been
pinched on to the board, or, perhaps,
more like the light-gray fungus growth
seen on decayed trees.
/ approached cautiously, having a
strong feeling that it might be thing
of life, although there was nothing
about it to indicate that it was such.
When near enough to touch it | felt con-
fldent that it was a tree-toad, even
though | had never before seen one. Its
little head and rump were drawn down
and partially under, and its legs and
feet were drawn upand folded 60 closely
to the body as to make an almost SYM
metrical figure, the lines where the
limbs touched the body being almost i'm
perceptible. With feeling of joy
closed my hand over it and removed it
from the fence.
To the sensitive palm of tae hand its
touch was cool, but not moist or ''clam-
N.Y." as in the case of its cousins, the
common toad and the frog. Its skin felt
smooth and silky.
For fear of smothering the little fell
low | made a pouch of my handkerchief,
putting a stone in the bottom of it to
make it roomy, and in that way brought
him home for closer acquaintance.
When placed on the center of the
library table, he sat for moment as if
to collect his thoughts, and then sprang,
blindly, as it seemed, over the tables
edge and caught with one toe on an OBJ
iect which he was passing, and which he
could not have seen from where he
started Although going with great
swiftness, the strength of that single
slender toe, rounded on the end with
its curious little sucker, was suf1l-
cient to enable him to stop and
draw himself up in good form.
He then hoped on to the round
of chair, and to give him good op-
portunity to display his wonderful agil-
ity, tipped the chair on one leg and
revolved it slowly, he hopping from
round to round, up, down and across,
seemingly enjoying it as much as his
audience did.
At first when touched he appeared
startled, and would jump. In one of
these Jumps he landed on the surface of
the pier-glass, on which he moved up or
down with a sort of half shuttle and
half hop. Soon he evinced no fear on
being touched, and on being stroked
gently on the back would turn his head
with knowing wink in that direction.
Having given us such an interesting
considered that he de-
served his freedom again. Taking him
in my hand / held him up about three
feet from an old apple tree at the side
Of the house. He seemed in no hurry
to take his departure, but crawled leis,
lrely up on the tips of my fingers, His
little toes clasped firmly around them,
for moment the group sur
him, and the next instant
alighted on the bark of the tree.
We waited for some time, curious to
see his next movement, but he made
1one watched closely for any change
If color in his coat for | had read that
rec toads, like chameleons, change
heir color and so render themselves al
most undistinguishable from their sur
'oundings, but there was none, and he
vas perfectly plain to the sight of any
If those who saw him gain the position;
,ut another person joining the group
,ould not discern him for some time,
.lthough his location was pointed out.
After awhile, our attention for a mo-
nent being drawn elsewhere, he had
disappeared completely, and the sharp
,st pair of eyes could not trace him, nor
,ad ne left the tree. This would tend
o prove whether or not he could adapt
lis color to match his surroundings, he
.ei tainly possessed the faculty OF get
ing on to places most like his coat in
appearance. .-Harper's Young People,