Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-09-20
Florida ChameleOnS.

A few days after. our special artist
Harry went out for Il tramp, and re-
turned to camp. his face radiant with
pleasure and self-sat' sfaction.
.'TOm," said he, Il have caught for
you some black, some yellow, and some
brown lizards" .-
Then he carefully opened an old
cigar-bOX in which he usually carried
his paints, and. as he peeped inside, his
eyes opened and his whole face ex-
pressed the utmost establishment.
".What is the matter?" asked Tom.
"Have they escaped?'' Is
Escaped! No" said he. 'But either
l am bewitched, or some wOOd-nymph
has played trick upon me; for here is
box full of pea green lizards."'
Carolina anoiisr' remarked Tom.
"Who's she? The wood-nymph? Do
you know her?' asked Harry, as he
shut the box, with n snap. well,
what / want to know is, how Carrie
what s-her-name painted all my speci-
mems 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 Florida chame-
Icons, and they have changed color in
the box"
From the mysterious depths of his
pockets Tom produced magnifying-
glass. Then, thrusting his hands into
the cigar-box, he pulled out one of the
squirming reptiles, and, holding it in
his fingers, handed Harry the glass.
saying:
g Look and see how old Dame Ma
ture has adapted the feet of these little
rascals for climbing"
Harry looked and saw that tie under
side of each toe was cushion, the sur
face of which was plated like an old
fashioned shirt-front plaits on the
hinder part having their edges turned
toward the end of the toe, and the
plaits 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 fur
ther, Harry discovered that the edges
| of the plaits were armed with rows OF
needle-like points, and the mechanical
principles upon which the foot acted
dawned upon him.
Il see, I see!'' he exclaimed. ''When
the little rascal runs up a wall, the soft
pads upon his toes fit and fill any little
uneven place beneath them, acting like
the leather suckers we used to make;
while, at the same time, the little spines
pointing downward are brought to bear
upon the surface of the wall. But,
he continued, "shOuld Mr.. Bright Eyes
run down the wall. the pads perform
their part just as well and are aided by
the opposite set of spines and plaits.
Hurrah for Tom, the great naturalist
he shouted, and in his enthusiasm
dropped the box from under his arm.
The inmates Immediately took advan-
tage of the opportunity to scatter in
every direction; seeing which. Harry
grabbed at one and caught it by the
tail. His sudden cry of horror startled
Tom from his fit of laughter; but when
a tailless chameleon dartcd under a
stick at his feet. and he saw Harry gaz-
inc with CONSERVATION on sIuirming
tail which he held in his hand for a mo
ment. and then dropped, twisting ard
writhing, on the ground, he broke out
afresh and laughed immoderately.
Harry looked up at last, muttering
something about its 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 animal to part with its
caudal appendage. when. by that means,
escape from captivity was possible
| d C.. Beard. in So. Nicholas.