The eggs were watched, and each day saw a change, so that within a week the pond was swarming with tiny tadpoles or “polly-wogs,” as the children called them. These, too, they carefully observed while they fed them, and as the tiny legs and feet developed, while the tail became absorbed and disappeared—they were told that now the tadpole had changed into a frog and needed air. Then stones were placed into the pond, so large that their surfaces protruded from the water, and upon these the baby frogs hopped and croaked their thanks. The tadpole can be kept in a tadpole state a long time if he is not properly nourished. Also, if his tail is bitten off by an enemy it will grow again. The toads were found to be more interesting, because they did more actual service to mankind. The children were told that toads live on land almost all of the time, only going to the water to lay their eggs; that they feed on insects from the garden, such as the grub, cut worm, slug, caterpillar, worms, etc. Anything alive he will eat. The toad is, therefore, a great help to the farmer, and no little boy would ever harm a toad if he but understood what a helpful creature he is in the garden. The frog labors under many disadvantages, as well as having many enemies. The first great disadvantage is that he is neither a water creature, like the fish, nor a land creature like the reptile; so that his struggle for existence is very hard. Should he decide to leave one pond, where the enemy is overwhelming, his only chance is to start on a rainy day to discover a new home for himself, and if he has the good fortune to find one before the sun comes out and dries things up, he is safe. At first the children showed a dislike to touch the toad on account of getting warts, but they soon learned that the fluid which the toad expels when he is picked up suddenly is harmless—and produced no warts—but there is a liquid which exudes from the toad when he is in severe pain (his means of self-defense) that burns the mucous membrane and causes stinging pain. Animals, generally speaking, are aware of this fact, and if you watch a dog play with or tease a toad, you will see that he does not bite him, but simply puts his paw on him. The skunk, too, is most careful, and rolls the toad on the grass to wipe off this caustic fluid. Toads during the process of development shed their outer skins every four or five weeks. Adult toads shed theirs about four times a year. This skin is shed in one piece, much as a man removes his shirt, and is then swallowed. The tongue of a toad is fastened in front of his mouth, which helps greatly to catch his food, as he shoots his tongue out and seizes it. He does not drink like other creatures, but absorbs water through the pores of his skin. If kept in a dry place for even a few days, he will grow thin and die; but if a toad has proper environment he will live to be very old.