The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-06-25
TRUTH ABOUT THE TOAD.
A Defense of a Useful and Much
MaIiened Creature.
(Kansas City Starr

(Kansas City Starr
This is little story in the interest of
the toad-the common. everyday, or
binary ugly American toad. The toad
has been more maligned and misrep-
resented than any of Gods useful crea-
lures. 1t earns its living and right
to live and be protected every night
of its active season. and yet cruel or
ignorant boys throw stones at il when
NJ sings on summer evenings in the
peacefulness of some secluded bog or
creek-"the sweetest sound in ma
ture, great poet called it. Or they
go down to the corner where Mr.. Toad
is busily devouring insects beneath the
electric light and kick him in the face
and think they're smart
Well, there isn't a thing smart about
this abuse of toads, and the sooner
boys learn something about ii the bet
ter for them, and for Mr.. Toad and his
family. Many wise men have Won
dered in ages past at the impulse that
leads boys, and sometimes men, to XIII
an inoffensive toad. One explanation
Tor this cruelty, according to an in
teresting bulletin on the subject, is
sued by the department of agriculture
in Washington, is found in the many
toad by traditions as old as the world
almost, and the very few worthy at
tributes that stand to its credit. The
toad always has borne the burden of
ludicrOus Misrepresentation. Early
writer's of natural history did much to
establish most of the superstitions
that are heard in connection with the
toad, and all the time it has been kill
ing insects that soon would drive
farmers and eardaUarc and fo,ior,1t,,r
lists out of business if not interfered
with by the toads and certain birds.
FaIlaeies About the Toad.
The toad is believed by many per-
sons 10 have venomOus qualities sec
cd only 10 the RATHER" other suppose
ii to have medicinal virtues, while
others tell of the valuable toadstone or
jewel to be found i'm its head Many a
toad has died a martyr to this ridicu-
lous fancy. Millions have pefished be-
cause of the libel that gives them the
surprising ability, reputed by all scien-
tine men, TO produce warts on ones
hands; to poison infants by its breath
TO cause red milk in cows if killed by
accident or design. Some kind-heart-
ed person, long ago, declared that good
fortune would come to the house in
whose cellar the toad made its home
not Offset the mean and untrue stories
told against the unfortunate toad
Boys are not the toad's only enemies.
Birds of several kinds watch for them
constantly and gobble them down in
large numbers. particularly after a
rain. This brings TO mind the popular
belief that sometimes lit rains toads"
Such a thing never happened any
where, If the government scientists are
to be believed. One of these men
writes, in the bulletin recently pub
lished. that ne counted $50 toads on
the shores of a pond scarcely a half
acre in extent. Toad eggs hatch rap
idly and in very short time if the
pond be warm. along in May or June.
By July the tadpOles begin to get
their legs, and when these are formed
the little animals leave the water
which has sheltered them. never 10 re-
turn except for brief visits at house
keeping time. These little tOads hide
themselves under leaves, rubbish.
stones or grass during the day, and
when a shower comes they suddenly
appear on the walks and roads and in
the gardens, thirsty. leaping creatures
that the foolish believe have fallen
! from the clouds.
No Race Suicide Among loads.
Toads don't begin the keep house
and think of rearing families until
they are years old. One mother toad
will lay so many eggs in an incredibly
short time that the number seems I'M
| believable. A government scientist has
record of 1857 and 1855 eggs from
/ two toads in a season. which. almost
anyone will admit, is going some.
Toads never harmed anyone They
are the farmers friend, the friend of
| gardeners and, indeed. of all the hu-
man race, for they destroy insects that
would ruin crops and others that make
/ life a heavy burden. particularly to
women who delight in wearing perfO-
rated shirt waists on summer nights.
| TOads live a long long time. too. but
the stories OF their age often are much
1 exaggerated. Nj. Herrisant. a French
ter in III as a test. At the end of
eighteen months two of the toaGs still
were alive. Another man. Buckland
by name. buried toads in cavities of
sandstone and limestone. Those in the
sandstone died in thirteen months. but
those in the limestone liver nearly two
years.
Every Toad a Glutton for insects.
loads are lovers of home. They stay
year after year i'm the same locality.
| Two toads. recorded in the govern
ment archives at Washington. have
lived IN door yards in two towns for