The toad for example, "ugly and venomous," (we have Shakespeare's word for that, but he was mistaken)--, a very useful animal and absolutely without disagreeable traits. It has been carefully estimated that every toad is worth twenty dollars to the garden he lives in. Yet how seldom one hears of a tame toad. At best they are tolerated, but not often encouraged by protection or by a little attention. To tame a toad, one only needs to feed him. Frogs, salamanders, newts, snakes, turtles, and fish have all been tamed in the same fashion. As nearly all are insect eaters, we are benefiting mankind when we encourage them. [Illustration: Photograph by Charles W. Miller. The Crow May Be Tamed When Young] [Illustration: Photograph by Chester K. Reed. The Skunk is an Amiable and Well-Mannered Pet] SQUIRRELS Tame squirrels are amusing. It takes very little encouragement to make them tame enough to eat from the hand and even to rummage the pockets for nuts. I remember a case when the red squirrels made so free with the books in a great man's study that he became positively annoyed, although he had himself encouraged them and had enjoyed their friendliness and tameness. The case got so bad that he was forced either to vacate or to get rid of the squirrels. He finally had a trap set. The first squirrel that came in ran straight into the trap. The great man had really not counted on any such circumstance. He was nonplussed. In all his diplomatic career no such a situation had arisen. He gave the matter earnest thought. He considered all the _pros_ and _cons_. He weighed all the evidence. The squirrel was guilty! When asked by a friend what penalty he pronounced, the great man replied: "I read him such a lecture as he will never forget--and turned him loose!" The relations of the red squirrel with the birds are such that we are pretty sure they should be discouraged. They are, alas! egg-suckers and nest-robbers. The gray squirrel has not been caught in this nefarious occupation. If plenty of nuts, fruit, and water were supplied for red squirrels, maybe they could be cured of their bad habits. The flying squirrel is to me the most beautiful member of his family. He is said to tame easily, but I remember the only pair we ever caught were shut in a convenient closet "till morning." When morning came there were only a little pile of gnawings and a hole under the door to tell the story. They had flown, nor could I blame them. RACCOONS, WOODCHUCKS, AND SKUNKS