is not his fault. To many, he
is more comical than ugly, and no creature has more beautiful eyes than
this same homely toad. He is one of the most useful of animals, and
should never be killed or ill treated.

The frog is less familiar to us than the toad, living as he does in the
water or in wet places. Boys often take delight in killing him, having
theories of the terrible influence he exercises in the affairs of man.
He is as harmless as the toad and of value in keeping down insect pests,
since these are also his food.

In the spring of the year, the frogs and toads will be heard chirping,
the frog in particular sometimes filling the night with his din. The
earliest of these voices comes from the smaller green frogs, or
"peepers," as they are often called because of the peeping noise they
make. The deep bass croak comes from the large bull-frog, so named from
his size and not from his sex, for there are female bull-frogs. When the
frogs begin to peep, the children will enjoy making an excursion in
quest of frogs' eggs. These will be found in any pond where the voice of
the frog is heard, and can be taken with a long-handled dipper or by
wading,--the latter practice to be cautiously indulged in northern
latitudes at this time of year, as the water may yet be very cold.

The eggs are gray, spherical, about as large as sweet-pea seeds, and
have a black spot on one side. They are found embedded many together in
a colorless jelly-like substance. The egg-mass should be handled
carefully and put whole into a jar or pail of water and thus carried
home. It should not stand with the sun shining directly on it, and when
the water is changed, every other day, that which is used should be of
about the same temperature as that removed. Water drawn cold from the
pipes will sometimes kill the eggs.

If all goes well, in a few days the eggs will hatch. Out of them will
hatch, not frogs, but tadpoles, or pollywogs, as they are also called.
Everyone likes to watch a tadpole--certainly every child does. As soon
as the eggs hatch, the surrounding jelly substance may be thrown away,
merely as a matter of convenience. Its use is to protect the eggs and to
afford the first food for the tadpole. If left too long in the water, it
becomes broken up, discolored and unpleasant. The tadpoles should have
fresh water every day or two, care again being exercised not to use it
too cold, and they must be fed. They will eat almost anything, crumbs o