Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-08
In the Florida Woods.

A few days after, our special artist
Harry went ont for tramp. and returned
to camp, his face radiant with pleasure and
self satisfaction.
tom" said he, az have caught for you
some black, some yellow and some brown
lizards"
Then he carefully opened an old cigar.
box in which he usuaily carried his paints,
and, as he peeped inside, his eyes opened
and his whole face assumed the utmost as
tonishment.
"What is the matter?" asked Tom
"Have they escaped %
Escaped No" said he. But either
I am bewitched, or some wood-nymph has
played trick upon me for here is a box
full of pea. green lizards p"
"CdrOliRa anoisi" remarked Tom.
"Whos she? The wood.nymph? Dc
you know herr" asked Harry as he shut
the box with snap. "Well, what want
to know is, how Carrie whas's-her name
painted all my specimens bright green, for
| am willing to vouch that nothing green
touched that box. -
Except yourself, laughed Tom. " You
have been catching what are commonly
known as EtpTiua CutliSloOuSY aAh buCl
have changed color in the box.
From the mysterious depths OF his pock-
cts Tom produced a magnifying glass.
Then, thrustiug his hand into the cigar
box, he pulled out one of the squirming
reptiles, and, holding it in his fingers,
handed Harry the glass, saying
look and see how old Dame Nature
has adapted the feet of these little rascals
for climbing.
Harry looked and saw that the under
side of each toe was cushion, the surface
of which was pleated like an oldfashioned
shirt-front, the pleats on the hinder part
having their edges turned toward the end of
the toe, and the pleats on the forward part
having their edges turned toward the heel,
thus dividing the cushion in the middle
Just as the band for the studs divided the
shirt.front. And upon looking further
Harry discovered that the edges of the
pleats were armed with rows of needle
like points, and the mechanical principles
upon which the foot acted daWned upon
him.
81 see, see - he exclaimed. "When
the little rascal runs up wall, the soft
pads upon his toes fit and fill any uneven
place beneath them, acting like leather
suckers we used to make; while at the
same time the little spines pointing down.
ward are brought to bear upon the surface
of the wall. But, he continued, "should
MIR. Bright Eyes run down the wall, the
pads perform their part just as we'll and
are aided by the opposite set of spines and
pleats. Hurrah for Tom, the great nat.
uralists p he shouted, and in his enthusi.
asm dropped the box from under his arm.
The inmates Immediately took advantage
of the opportunity to scatter in every di-
rection, seeing which Harry grabbed at
one and caught it by the tail. HIS sudden
cry of horror startled Tom from bis fit of
laughter; but when tailless chameleon
darted under a stick at his feet, and he
saw Harry gazing with CONSERVATION on
sqairming tail which he held in his hand
for moment, and then dropped, twisting
and writhing on the ground, he broke out
afresh and laughed immoderately.
Harry looked up at last, muttering some-
thing about it being his belief that the box
had contained imps instead of reptiles.
Tom, however, explained that it was quite
an ordinary occurrence for this curious ami
NAL to part with its caudal appendage,
when by that means escape from captivity
was possible ST. Nicholas.