Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-09-16
TEXAS HORNED TOAD.
History of a Cute Little Ami
) NAL.

Life-History of a Cute Little Ami
NAL.
81 havesa horned toad from Texas
down at my office, 'h said Ohio
editor to me, when | was visiting in
that State. "Will you like to cali in
and see it, when you pass that wayP"
The reader will surmise that a very
short time elapsed ere did 'pass that
way and my friend the editor bade
me welcome by beginning an i'm
mediate search for the 'horned toad,'
which apparently was allowed the free
run of the Office. Has the reader ever
been introduced into the office of a
Western newspaper editorp A chaos
of exchanges" is its principal char
acteristlc. You wonder how one man
in a lifetime, much less week.-Mrs.
was the Office of weekly paper
could look over and scissor and clip
frem that aston ishing miscellany.
However, the object now was to hunt
up the toad, not news. Exchanges in
compact piles and loose piles were
moved from shelf to table and table to
shelf; exchanges half-opened and un-
opened, exchanges already clipped
and thrown under the spacious table;
papers filed and papers not filed; books
and magazines in vast piles to be re-
viewed; ink of all colors in bottles of
all sizes, some full, some empty; pen
holders and pencils enough to kindle
fire; paper knives, scissors, rulers and
clips anywhere but in their natural
places; and as for manuscripts, adver-
tisements and advertising books-from
the size of bath-towel down to the
daintiest card--not to mention samples
and offerings presented to the influen-.
tial man in order to win a good word
in his paper (here is. the office-boy with
another armful by the mail just in),
and "copy" enough for six months
use scattered about! All these things
were moved, lifted, separated, swept
on one. side and swept back again,
turned over again and again; but no
toad rewarded that amiable editors
search. "Toads like Damp | sug-
gested, while offering my small aid In
picking up "a shower of literature which
my friend scattered in his haste. "The
poor thing can scarcely feel comfort
able among the wealth of information
and SO near the stove."
'Well, it is an improvement on 4
boys pocket, anyhow" returned the
erudite man IL rescued it from boy
who had been carrying it about in his
pocket for whole fortnight His un-
Gle just from Texas, brought it for him
J to play with. 1t was here half an hour
ago, for saw it," continued the edi-
tor, rummaging shelf of exchanges
for the fourth time. ''It's half dead,
anyhow; for horned toads won't eat
when they're caught Do, pray, take
a seat, Why, there he is!' and down
or the floor, in dusty corner behind
chair which the editor drew ont fof
.Sme, was a poor, pretty little saurian.
with a pointed tail. and a cornet of
spikes. round its head, which gave it a
quaint and decorated appearance.
.a-a''lt is not q toad after all!nIven-
tured to explain; but belief in vernacu-
lars is strong. 'ssss ssaze----- -r--e
MAY be it's frog, then; there are
horned frogs, too.s I'M Texas9F IA,
On u first glance the reptile has
somewhat the appearance of a frog or
a toad with the addition of taiD. Its
body was broader for its length than is
usual for lizards, and its head was
short and flat, looking all the more so
for the horny spines, which stand ont
like a frill, The poor little half-dead
thing was too feeble to struggle and
too thickly coated with dust to display
any other than mud color. From its
long fast it was merely skin and skele-
ton, painfully concave beneath.
gladly accepted it from the editor, and
on reaching home gave it bath, let
ting it remain in the water and douch.
ing it thoroughly. which seemed tc
invigorate it, as il tried to crawl out OF
the basin, and opened pair of bright
black ewes. Gradually its markings
and true color appeared, and it turned
out to be an exceedingly pretty iguan
ian lizard; but, as my friend the editol
had with reason said, it is generally
known in Texas as 1.-THE horned frog
or 1.-THE horned toad" or scientifically
PhrynOSomd c0rnutm.
1t now already gave signs of recov
cry, and when placed on its back
could right itself, and even crawl and
was quaint pretty little creature, worth
preserving. But tremendous obstacle
here arose There were young ladie:
in the house, and had they known
had surreptitiously brought home q
toad TO ''sting them with its poisonous
horns,n the consequences are too ap
palling to conjecture! Such terrific
creature of four and half inches long,
tail inclusive, to be introduced into the
family circle, So Iguana and | KEEP
oar secret; and | slyly smuggled 8
large, empty fower-pot into my room,
and lined it with fresh grass and s
clump of turf from the garden, and
had the pleasure of seeing the pool
little stranger nestle in it with evident
satisfaction. got its mouth open ant
gave it water, which it swallowed