The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-12-09
SUBSCRIPTIONS /:
CATCHING A BIG LIZARD.
A Terrible Looking Creature-A Tabl
Delicacy by Music.

A Terrible Looking Creature-A Table
Delicacy Enchanted by Music.
Dan c. Beard in Scientific American.
One can scarcely imagine a more ter
rible looking creature than full or own
iguana Instead of being discouraged,
however, by it's looks, the animal seems
to delight in its ugliness, and to a great
extent rely upon its formidable appear
anee for protection. When alarmed, it
will puff itself up, erect the spine upon
its back, and expect by this means to
brighten away its enemies; and if its
harmless nature were not well known 1t
would seldom be mOlested, but might
bask in the sun for centuries to come,
instead Of becoming a comparative
rarity by gradual determination.
The common iguana is from three to
five and even six feet long when full
grown. 1t inhabits the West Indies and
tropical America, and belongs to an eX-
ceedingly numerous family of lizards.
As rule, all of these relatives have
broad, fiat heads, often ornamented
with comb-like ridges or membranous
lobes; similar appendages usually con
time along the dOrsal region. The
throat is almost invariably furnished
with dewlap, or membranOus eApan-
sion of some kind. Their eyes are al
ways furnished with lids, which may
be completely closed; their tongues are
short, thick, and only free at the end.
and their ears are freely exposed.
There can be but little doubt but that
the white population of tropical Amer
lea learned to eat the flesh of the igu-
ana from the ancient Indians. In Mr..
BRYAN Edwards History Of the West
Indies" published some 100 years ago,
he says: Il believe 1t seldom happens
that they (the iguana) were served at
any English table, but their French and
Spanish neighbors still devour them
with exquisite relish" Mr. Edwards
also says he has been assured by lady
of great beauty and elegance, who
smoke from experience, that the iguana
is equal in flavor and whOlesOmeneSs to
the finest green turtle. "
The old time priests evidently enjoyed
the flesh of this lizard as well as the
sport of its capture, if we may Judge
from the following extract from the
writings of Father Labat, which ap-
peared in The Sporting Magazine for
September, 1894:
TIVE were attended," says he, 'by ii
negro, who carried a long rod, at one
end of which was piece of whip cord
with rum ng knot. After beating the
bushes some time, the negro discovered
our game basklng IN the sun, on q ory
limb of a tree; hereupon he began
whistling with all his might, to which
the iguana was wonderfully attentive,
stretching out his head and turning his
neck, as if to enjoy it more fully. The
negro now approached, still whistling,
and, advancing his rod gently
began tickling with the end Of
it the sides and throat Of
the iguana, who seemed nightly
pleased with the operation, for he
turned on his back and stretched him
self out like a cat before a fire, and al
length fairly fell asleep; which thu
negro perceiving, dexterously slipped
the moose over his head, and with jeri
brought him to the ground. Good spor
it afforded continues the reverend his
torian) to see the creature swell like
turkey cock at finding himself en-
trapped. We caught others in the sam
Wav, and kept one of them alive sever
or eight days, but it grieved me to tn
heart that he thereby lost much de
licious fat.