The Value of a Toad

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12217, 15 August 1925, Page 16

The Value of a Toad

Some people seem to think that every creature in the world should be useful to man, and they are perplexed by such things as poisonous snakes and parasites, midges and flies. There are many things these ungrateful people forget—that, for instance, the realm of living creatures is such a, vast system that it would not continue as a well-balanced concern if everything Conspired to man’s advantage. Another fact is that the occasionally troublesome abundance of certain kinds of creatures, such as house-flies—which could soon smother a city if they were not checked I —is due to man’s interference with the balance of Nature, or to his careless ways of dealing with refnse. Often, however, the querulous: “What is the use of tbafi?” is the outcome of ignorance. Take the toad. The American toad, which is closely like the British species,- plavs an important part in checking injurious insects. An American naturalist has collected records j of the number of insects eaten by a toad at one meal or found in its stomach at one time. Here am the fignres: 90 rose-beetles, 55 army worms, 25 gynsy-moth caterpillars. 86 house-flies. The moths and caterpillars were all snapped up in ten minutels! tbe value of a toad’s work at'about £1 for a season.others at four times as much. Well may it be praised!