Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1890-01-10
A FouR.LeeeED ACROBAT.
Cornical Antics and Gymnastio Perform
ance OF Little Tree-Toad.

conaIcaI Antics and Gymnastio Perform.
ance OF n Little Treo-Toad.
While walking on country road one
cool morning in June noticed q small
object on the edge of o 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
strong feeling that it might be thing
OF life, although there was nothing
about it to indicate that 1t was such.
Whom near enough to touch 1t felt con-
fident that 1t was tree-toad, even
though had never before seen one. Its
little head and rump were drawn down
and partially undor, and its legs and
feet were drawn up and folded so closely
to the body as to mako an almost sym
metrical figure, the lines where the
limbs touched the body being almost i'm
perceptiblo. With a feeling Of joy /
closed my hand over it and removed it
from the fence.
To tho sensitive palm OF the hand its
touch was cool, but not moist or ''clam-
N.Y." as in the case OF it3 cousins, the
common toad and the frog. Its skin felt
smooth and silky.
For fear Of smothering the little fell
low made pouch of my handkerchief,
putting a stone In the bottom OF 1t 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 a moment as il
to collect his thoughts, and then sprang,
blindly, as it seemed, over the tables
edge and caught with one toe on an OBJ
ject 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 sufil-
cient to enable him to stop and
draw himself up in good form.
He then hopped on to the round
OF n chair, and to give him a good op-
portunity to display his wonderful agil-
ity, l tipped The chair on one leg and
revolved it slowly, he hopping from
round to round, up, down and across,
seemingly enjoying 1T 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 sort OF half shuttle and
half hop. Soon he evincod 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
entertainment, 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. lie seemed in no hurry
TO take his departure, but crawled leis-
urcly up on the tips OF my fingers, his
little toes clasped firmly around them,
surveyed for moment the group sur
rounding 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
none. watched closely for any change
OF color in his coat, for had read that
tree-toads, like chameleons, change
their color and SO render themselves al
most undistlnguishable from their sur
roundings, but there was none, and he
was perfectly plain TO the sight OF any
OF those who saw him gain the position;
but another person joining tho group
could not discern him for some time,
although mis- location was pointed out.
After awhile, our attention for a mo-
ment being drawn elsewhere, he had
disappeared completely, and the sharp
est pair OF eyes could not trace him, nor
had he left tho tree. This would tend
to prove whether or not he could adapt
his color TO match his surroundings, he
certainly possessed the faculty of get
ting on TO places most like his coat in
appearance. -liarpcr's Young People.