. Familiar life in field and forest; the animals, birds, frogs, and salamanders . The foot-pads ofthe Tree Toad. being left open during part of the day the frogs would leave the house and establish themselves on the trees in the orchard, where their voices could be heard throughout the evening. During the night they would return to the house, and would appear in their usual places in the morning. Hyla versicolor is not only remark-able for his change of color and hiswinning voice, but also for his footpads, my drawing of which will show their high development. Not-ing these strange littledisks
. Familiar life in field and forest; the animals, birds, frogs, and salamanders . The foot-pads ofthe Tree Toad. being left open during part of the day the frogs would leave the house and establish themselves on the trees in the orchard, where their voices could be heard throughout the evening. During the night they would return to the house, and would appear in their usual places in the morning. Hyla versicolor is not only remark-able for his change of color and hiswinning voice, but also for his footpads, my drawing of which will show their high development. Not-ing these strange littledisks on the tipsof the toes, whichclosely adhere tothe surface onwhich the crea-ture stands, thefact will not ap-pear so surprisingthat he can stand near-ly upside down ! It isperfectly plain, too, bythe webbed feet, that the little acrobat is a fairswimmer. Last, but by no means least among the batrachian3. 18 FAMILIAR LIFE IN FIELD AND FOREST. singers of spring, comes the common toad {Bufoamericanus). The poor, brown, warty creaturewhich is so repulsive in appearance, and which oneshudders to touch, possesses one of the sweetestvoices of spring—a dreamy, lulling, musical voice,well fitted to sing the slumber song of Nature, andtransport every living thing in woodland and mead-ow to the mysterious land of dreams. The birds, itis true, may be thus sung to sleep, but not so with allthe rest of the animal creation; most of it delightsto prowl about all night long, just as Robert LouisStevenson says, and none of it cares a straw for anaccompanying nocturne: The squalling cat and the squeaking* mouse,The howling dog by the door of the house,The bat that lies in bed at noon,All love to be out by the light of the moon. By moonlight the song of the toad seems evenmore entrancing; but cat and weasel, coon andskunk, fox and bat—all are intent on prey, and ourlullaby singers make some of it. Ev
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Keywords: ., bookauthorma, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology
