The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-06-06

pulled off. By the time assistance arrived
the insect had crawled foot or two up his
victims back, leaving fiery red mark
wherever a claw had touched. And all
this time the gentleman was enjoying the
sensation of having hundred hot needles
run into him. From this and some similar
experiences it is quite fashionable in the
tropics to shake your clothes well before
putting them on. remember lady-a
new arrival at the hotel-asking me one
day whether | hung up my shoes at night
to keep the insects out of them. | try to
imagine man taking the trouble to hang
up his shoes before going to bed, but can't
quite do it. Centipedes are more plentiful
than scorpions, but not quite so likely to
sting. l have seen a barefoot man step on
one without being hurt, probably because
the insect, had no chance to turn and use
his claws They are just about on par
with scorpions as regards the effect of their
poison. In some places the effect of Gen.
tipede's sting has been fatal, but it is not
so here.
These are the only yenomous insects we
have in the Bahamas But we have some
other small fry that are not particularly
pleasant neighbors There are great
many fishes In the waters that one would
not care to meet. One of my men came
up from the beach one day bringing, in a
pail of water, the most villainous looking
creature / ever saw come out of the sea.
1t was genuine octopus, or devil fish
not as large nearly as the one they used to
have in the Aquarium in New York, but
just the same shape, if such an ungainly,
misshapen thing can be said to have any
shape at all. The ends of his legs (and he
had dozen or more which, perhaps, ought
rather to be called arms than legs) were
suckers, and fastened themselves tightly to
whatever they touched. The man put his
hand against one of the suckers, aud it took
all his strength to pull it away again. I
gave him quarter to take it away before
the sight of the thing gave me a night
mare. Then we have the stingray. think
that is his proper name, though he is always
called stingaree. | was out In boat fish
ing with party one day, when one of the
colored boys drew in creature that looked
! like an eel, with row or spines down his
back. Instantly all the other boys began
to shout "it's stingaree; get him over
board, get him overheard > The eel twisted
himself into every imaginable shape, tied
1 himself in knots, and made frantic efforts
to get away. The boy who caught him
holding his line at arms length, gave him
two or three whacks against the side of the
boat, and the eel cut the line and disappeared
! His spines are ike the teeth of a SHARP
saw. and he cuts whatever he touches
The boys were anxious to have him over
board, because, if he had been put in the
boat. he would probably have cut us all il
his struggles. On shore again the ordi
nary land crab in not pleasant fellow tt
meet until you have learned what harm
less creature he Is The first one of then
| saw was crawling along the beach. HI
was So nearly the color of the sand, | only
happened to get on his track by seeins
something move, so followed him up, ant
the instant he saw me he reared on hi
hind legs, put out all his claws, like thu
spokes of wheel, and started off for hi
hole at race-horse speed. They burrov
down often six feet, making hole biz
enough to thrust your arm in. There is
small red crab here, but he lives in or nea
the water He is said to be the only cral
in the world that is red before he is cooked
Hardly to be included among tropica
nuisances are the little lizards, Some Of
them are nearly a foot long, including
their long tails, (these are called lion liz
ards.) but the most of them are no NOR,
than four or FIVE inches. They are entire
" harmless, and are useful in catching
flies and other small insects. Some o
them are striped, some spotted, some bril-
liant green, some brown, some an ash.
white. They are said to have the facult,
of changing their color to that of any OBJ
iect they sit upon, and of doing it instantly
l never saw one change, and you will hay
to form your own opinion about the story
don't believe it myself. have hear
the same fairy tale about tree toads, bu
have seen white toads roosting on darl
brown trees too often to believe that either
These lizards run about everywhere, an
sometimes, though seldom, come into tn
house. | have found two or three of then
in my sleeping room on going to bed
Even though they are harmless, the ide
: of lizard walking around you in the nigh
is not pleasant.
l wanted to end this chapter on tropica
puisanees by saying something about m
ancient enemy, the sand fly, but words fa
me, 1t is very seldom, and then only O.
remarkably still days, that there are an
about in the Winter But during tn
rainy season they are exceeding thick. n
mosquito netting will keep them out the
are so small. They give no warning, lik
mosquito, but proceed at once to business
You feel sting on some part of your skin
and perhaps see there black speck abou
the sige Of q pins point, But he must b
. full of poison, for the bite swells up an
itches, and you get twenty more of then
and you scratch till they're all sore and g
little scabs ON them, and make you look a
: if you had smallpox. When | go back
New York no mosquito shall ever temp
me into impatience, I'll just think of tn
sand flies, and be content,