Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-10-05

fore. We feared the vicinity OF 20 mucn
salt water might be injurious to them, but
this year they have survived, and perhaps
they may Be esta blished for good"
Do you wonder that this gardener was
fond OF her toadsf
FOOD OF THE TOAD.
Figures are not very interesting, but
read Just these few and see II you don't
think the toad 10 q smart little crcature.
II il estimated that in three months toad
will eat 1885 injurious insects, and that
OF this number 1888 are cut worms; tis-SS
. year, It IL estimated, Que toad will save,
by Just the cut worms that he eats.
But how can toad eat 30 many, many
insects in q day. A few weeks ago we
decided we should have to watch our pet
toad pretty closely to see at all how he got
his dinner, didn't wei And, perhaps,
about ali You discovered was that one
second you saw q fly and the next you
| didn't. The toad wasn't very near and he
didn't move. You did see . fash, perhaps,
OF his pink tongue. And then, did 1t
occur to you that there was the show,
and did you look to see why be could move
that tongue 90 quickly l hope you will
look il you haven't, and you will soc that
his tongue il attached ct the front OF his
mouth instead Of at the back, ~ ours 10.
| Ii can for this reason be thrown well out
of the mouth, and it 10 attached by
muscles OF great rspidity OF movement.
1t also has sticky surface, 20 that prey
cannot escape after once being touched
with the tongue.
Bot while the toad is enemy to so many
creatures, what are some OF his enemies!
The snake Is one Of his worst, even the
little snakes. Skunks, hawks, owls,
carriage wheels, peoples feet and even
boys before they have made friends with
the toad-are all his enemies. These and
others he has. But 1t has also means OF
protection against these enemies.
A fluid, slightly poisonous, is secreted in
the toad's skin, which he elects II In
severe pain, - for instance when seized BY
the teeth OF an enemy. This huid has
very irritating effect on the mouth Of any
animal. The fluid is harmless to people
except that, rubbed on eyes or mouth, it
would have Q somewhat irritating effect.
harmless, which he often gives out, IL even
q little roughly handled. Neither OF these
fluids can produce warts 1t Is this latter
fluid which causes the slimy feeling We
are apt to associate with toads, the skin Of
which 10 naturally dry.
The varying color OF the toad is another
great means OF protection. I want you to
look at toad ON q sandy road, in the sun
shine, among green foliage, and in tbs
garden earth, and see how different his
color IL in each Of these different places.
Il matches almost perfectly his surround
ings, even to becoming spotted and striped
to blend with the sunlight and shadow OF
the moving trees and grasses. When
sitting on = clod Of garden earth, bis color
and the very texture Of his skin make him
look like part OF the earth. A wonderful
walton Of the toad.
That ''dull, brown skin, rough with warts
Of all sizes and shapes, 90 like the soil OF
the garden OF ficid"-does it seem ugly to
you, when you know that 1t is made SO
sin order that an enemy may pass him by
without even suspecting his presence!"
Think, too, how it has only become this
dull, warty skin, through Thousands OF
generations, because every grandfather
and grandmother and great-grandfathsr
and great grandmother, and great-grsat-
great -grandfathers and mothers-more
greats than we could count-ail OF these
ancestors who were not fitted in every
way; BY an ugly color, by . dissagreeable
| fluid, by strong hind legs to jump with,
| by tightening moving tongue muscles, by
all the perfectly adapted makeup OF the
| present toad-were gradually killed Oh and
the species from way back modified and
modified until finally there is left the
common toad, OF which have told you in
| this story--one OF the most useful and best
protected OF our animals. Even the eye Is
so placed, on the very highest spot in his
body, that it may be Of the greatest use to
him. A watch tower, some one has
called II.
PEcULARrTIEs OF THE TOAD.
This eye is very beautiful, q horizontal
pupil OF black, with . gold colored iris.
| Its beauty gave rise may ages ago, to the
| "a BILE OF the s'jewel' in the toad's head.
This jewel was believed to be . precious
stone lying within the tosd's head, and
that, when worn, it would act as tails
man to protect the wearer from all sorts
| Of evil.
Did you know that the toad could play
| tricks? Indeed he can! He "plays dead"
| just IS well Is your pet dog ever did, when
| by that means he may escape an enemy.
See II you can't discover him at the trick
some day. How do you suppose your toad
can balance himself on the thin edge Of
the glass Of the aquarium, when be jumps
to the top to look around awhile! Why
do you suppose be viii disappear sometimes
to the bottom Of the aquarium and lie
there with fattened body and covered
head. Why, in trying to escape from the
aquarium, will he struggle to get directly
through the glass, even when the glass ID