Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-02-25
S5Ee Curious ThiaJs.

ing Oh = -usp, .--.DohiEg tin canister
Hardly. vas the rcp!r. Il am of for
u day OH tie mountain FIR 4 lizard hunt;
! want wh:gpar-ir, - come along
Ar lizard the vnly induccmcni:' =
Not - Ill. Take your gun and III
show you mountain quail that will DO your
heart good and perhaps glimpse IF a deer
Why, look at that. man said my friend,
pointing over d" range, where, far away.
resting ike dove on the green tips Of the
Sierra Matrr-. was the snow top Of old
Brrnartino ri-tening Iikc a gem. I'm
.,uara ntrc r.1srr view Ct that, enough 10
pay any oIe for q twenty mile walk: AMI
IN r., I'll introduce you Ia the tail-tosssTs.''
Al! thesc Inducements proved sufficient,
and before III sun had risen well over the
ran,c We were mil" mp the canyon.
''Ifyou -"c lizard or q frog ar anything
alive, tax it." were my instruction
We had taken To- the bed ofthe mountain
stream that la Tn of thousands Of yeass
had made the naughty canyon. Itwas filled
with huge boullcrs, s;rcwn and tumblcd
about in chaotic confusion, Us ifa stream of
r,.ks had done the work, and water was
altogether a secondary consideration. The
rocks had b"cn polished by the rush and
spray If years, and to bound from one to
another without slipping or falling re
quired no littly kill. ~ ! was about t.
take leap and had my gun well in hand
- a help my companion seized me and in
nm excited whisper told me 10 look.
~ rattlcsnakc:" asked, hauling back
and sitting down heavily.
ACuRInU- CHASGEAEr.E TOAD.
No" was the reply, given in such
manner that becam" convinced that lie
-aw either grizzly or "A mountain lion.
hauled our, n"ta weapon, but u microscope,
which with great caution he applied To- a
mall bump On a boulder before him.
is that what you are breaking man
all UP for :" said |. Us the bump became a
frog.
is that ALL" rctorted my friend.
Why, man, that frog, or tree toad, | am
convinced, is a new species. Ii / should
describe it u liyla Johcsii You might per
haps think it of some importance. Why,
Look at il. Its one ii the most remarkable
examples Of protective resemblance YOU
ever saw"
y close examination of the diulinutive
cause "f all this excitement showed that il
was indeed wonderfully protected, and |
had almost stepped upon the animal that,
safe in its disguise had Rot moved. At a
casual glance the toad would have been
taken for prominence on the boulder, and
now that attention was directed toward il
the mimicry seemed all the more striking,
as the animal almost exactly resembled the
stone in color. The latter was spotted
granite peculiar 10 the mountains here, the
spots being quite large and pronounced and
f irregular shape, evidently deposits of
dark mica, the remainder Of the rock being
white or nearly so. This notified surface
was reproduced on the toads back as if
painted. and even the delicate legs, with
their dsc-tipped toes, shared the ornamen-
iaton.
I've seen green tree toads on green
lcavn." said my companion, but this beats
thema tits evidently tree toad adapted
10 life among the houlders Of this stream
Now 10 show You the perfection OF this
protection will start il up and see what
the result will be-
The toad was forthwith touched With q
twig and with mighty leap landed upon
q neck that was nearly white, round ana
smooth We sat down upon neighboring
boulder and waited for the change that
nature was TO make in the little harlequin.
In five minutes by the watch this had taken
place. The black spots that had represent
cd the mica were rapidly fading out. the
other portions also losing their dark tint
Quickly the change went on and in a COM
pSratively short time the spotted toad was
~ almost the exact hue as its new base and
as inconspicuaus as II had been before. AMI
would, as in the former case. have been
passed BY Is moro prominence upon tho
rock. Another touch. aaa tho liitlo csre.
tnrr sprsng upon another boulder. from
which IL Was finally driven upon one
almost black. Again the curious change
was noticed, dark patches coming ou, and
the skin assuming the same tint as IL had
While on the granite. The spots continued
- grow, Increasing their diameter until at
lSs, they al! fused together and the toad
became almost black and equally as incon-
spicuous as before, In en- attemp; TO drive
II upon an alder it finally escaped.
HOW IT Is DONE.
Il have no doabt." said the lizard hunter,
that il would adapt itself to changes OF
color equally well. How Is IL iones Well.
there are different opinions. The method
Is found in large variety Of animals. es-
pec:aily lizards, though fish have il 70 a
certain extent The skin of animals con.
tains pigment and the cells are more or less
under the control OF the nerves. 50 10 speak.
That IS, under certain conditions some cells
expand while those containing a pigment
oi another color contract, and thus il pig.
maG; cells are arranged in the skin in LAYERS
ynu can easily see how certain changes
take place. You must bear in mind. how
ever. that these changes are intuitivs on the
par; Of the animal; il cannot help il. I,
does not deliberately hop on 70 white stone
when black. and comfort inself in any wav
II produce a change, yet the eye is really
tn nahum. and the secret is, according 10