Arizona republican., 1907-07-23
THE RECORD BEATEN
 FOR HORNED TOADS
The Laying Qualities of the Arizona Species Lead the World, Due to Fine Climate.

Harold Glore. who resides at 7O9 MonteZuma avenue. with his parents, yesterday brought to the Republicans natural history department a consign- ment of horned toad eggs. As the na- ! ture fakir in charge of this depart ment is away attending a meeting of the Ananias club it has devolved upon a subordinate to play up the incident and he will attempt to do So with the help of the reference books. Some doubt was expressed at Harold's story at first. but after he had told it all 1t was found that the authorities sus- tained him. except that the particular horned toad that figures in this story like almost everything else in this de- ! lightful lifegiving climate, beats the record.
 Harold said that he became inter ested in the toad by her peculiar ac- tions. indicating that she was much concerned and in a state of mental ex
 citement. almost approaching vieious- ness. Attempts to caress her met with ! resentment and when she was tickle I 1 with a stick she snapped at it like | a rdttlcsnake. A watch was at upol her and it was soon disccve;ed th3 [ her abiding place was in a hole under the edge of the porch. A shovel was brought and the hole opened up. when 1 there were displayed nineteen eggs. each about the size of a large grape and the sum total apparently occup- ing as much cubic space as the old fta or very light color. at least some of them were, but the others that were evidently a little older were very dark. having been covered by particles of dust that adhered to them as they were rolled around while yet moist.
 Being a humane boy. when he dis covered that he was about to break up a happy family, Harold refused to further disturb the nest and repaired as we'll as possible the damage he had done. But the old toad never came back and the next day Harold brought the eggs to the Republican office; that is seventeen of them, for two were broken in transportation. They were first offered to the poultry editor and as the shells were soft like rubber he at once advised the young man to feed his birds more lime. Harold explained that they were not bird eggs and just | then the snake editor came in and pre- | tended to know all about them. He said he had been looking for a long 1 time for some garter snake eggs. When informed that in the processes of garter snake culture the eggs were never available the snake editor with drew hastily and the nature fakir's un- derstudy had, a clear field
 By consulting the authorities among other things he found this concerning the horned toad: "The young. dozen or more at a time. are born from eggs. which are laid by the mother only an hour or so before they are ready to hatch. When the little ones emerge
 they are able to begin at once to catch \ and eat minute insects
 By this it is seen that the Arizona species of horned toad. like everything else in Arizona. leads the world. In- stead of a measly little old dozen eggs this one laid nineteen and then being Ndisturbed in her work she went some where else and laid the rest of them
 It is also deduced that this horned toad. like most Arizona creatures. is given over to the spirit of commercial ism. She was evidently laying her
 eggs for market and they were not
 fertile. for not single one of them ever matched.