"The toad, like the frog, is a most useful animal in the garden. It preys upon grubs and vermin of all kinds-slugs, caterpillars, earwigs, beetles, worms- nothing comes amiss. Before winter approaches the toad leaves off eating, and hides itself away in a hole in the wall, or under a stone, where it lies torpid till the frost and snow are all gone.""Do you know, Norah," asked Fred, "that the little newts, or efts, or effets, which we find sometimes in the ponds and ditches, are all animals of the same kind as the frog and the toad? The newts, however, have tails, which frogs and toads never have."SUMMARY
The toad is larger, more clumsily built, and more awkward in its movements than the frog.
The frog is a swimmer. Its hind feet are webbed. The frog has a smooth skin.
The frog has teeth in the upper jaw. The frog leaps on his long hind legs.
The frog spends much of its time in the water. The toad has no web between its toes.
The toad has a rough, warty skin.
The toad has no teeth.
The toad moves slowly, with short jumps.
The toad goes to the water only in the spring to lay its eggs.
Lesson 30
Gases
"I want you to think about the air again, Norah." said Fred.
