Part 25

4. Sometimes the toad can not reach the water at the proper time, and then the tadpole changes to a perfect toad soon after it is hatched.

5. The toad feeds on insects, and is very useful about the garden, as it picks off the grubs and beetles that destroy the fruit and flowers.

6. It eats only living insects, and it never chases its prey. It will sit motionless until a fly or other insect comes within reach, and then it darts out its tongue so rapidly that the little victim can not escape.

7. It swallows its food whole. When it seizes a worm, it crams fold after fold into its mouth with its fore feet, and, when all is in, it gives one great gulp, and the worm disappears down the wide throat. The toad sleeps in some hole, or out-of-the-way place, during the day; but it comes out about sunset and searches for food all night.

8. Every few months the toad gets a new coat. Its old skin gets hard and dry, and cracks open on the back, showing a new skin under it. Then the toad pulls his head out, and pushes the old skin off his body and legs. When he has got it all off, he rolls it up into a ball and swallows it.

9. Toads live thirty or forty years, and often become quite tame. They will come at a call, and they seem to enjoy a gentle scratching. When held by the legs, they will catch the flies brought within their reach as readily as when at liberty.

LESSON L.

THE SNAIL AND ITS HOUSE.

1. In summer, when walking out in country places, we often find pretty little snail-shells. Some of these are empty, and some have a live snail within.

2. The shell is the snail's house. It is a queer house, as it grows on him, as hair grows on a cat; and he carries it about on his back when he walks.

3. The snail lives upon plants. In the day he finds some safe place under a stone, or in a hole, draws himself into his house, and goes to sleep. In the night he comes out and feeds.

4. When we catch a snail, and wish to look at him, we find that he has gone into his house, where we can not see him.

5. To make him come out, put a plate in warm water until it is about as warm as the hand. Then dip the shell into the water, and put it on the warm, wet plate.

6. Then the snail will come out. First, he will put his head out. Then from the front part of his head he win put out four soft horns, two long ones and two short ones.

7. His eyes are in the ends of his long horns. When the horns are out, if you watch close, you will see the eyes move up to the tips.

8. Next comes the body, which is soft, long, and flat. The shell is on the back, nearer the tail than to the head. It has a spiral twist, as is shown in the picture.

9. The snail's body, where it touches the ground when he moves, is called the foot. When he moves, the head reaches forward first and takes a firm hold, then the other parts come forward in turn, the tail last.

10. The snail can not crawl over a dry place; so, when he moves, a thick fluid comes out of his foot, moistening the surface as he passes along.

11. As he must be saving of this fluid, in dry weather he stays at home most of the time, and comes out only when it is wet enough to crawl about.

12. When the cold weather comes, the snail crawls away to some quiet place, usually under a log or a stone, draws himself into his house, makes a door to keep out the cold, and goes to sleep until spring.

LESSON LI.

THE FLY AND ITS WAYS.

1. Here is one of our friends that we know very well--the common house-fly. It is here drawn large on purpose, so that we can better see how it is made.

2. The fly is an insect. Its body is divided into three parts; and it has three pairs of legs. Upon its head are two large eyes, each of which is made up of about two thousand small eyes. When we look through a glass that makes things look large, we can see and count these little eyes of the fly.

3. Its feet are made in such a way that they will stick wherever it places them, so that it can crawl up the walls of the house, or on the ceiling, with its back down.

4. The fly's wings are light and thin, and made up of fine network. It has no jaws or teeth; and, instead of lips, it has a tube, or trunk, through which it sucks up its food, as we can suck milk through a straw.

5. When a fly lights on a lump of sugar, it puts out its trunk, and lets fall a drop of fluid, which is clear like water. This moistens the sugar, and then the fly sucks it up.

6. The fly keeps himself very clean. After each meal it brushes its head, first on one side, and then on the other, with its first pair of legs. Then it will rub the two legs together to get off the dirt.