The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-03
Is There a Venomous Lizard
From Science.

This animal has been an object of con-
siderable interest to naturaists because of
the question whether or not it presents the
anomaly of a venomcus lizard. just before
leaving the United States last September, I
had under my care about twenty sO-caled
''venomous lizards" of various ages and
sizes; and as believe the biography of this
animal has been but slightly touched on,
few observations in regard to them may not
be out of place.
They varied in length from 10 to 40 CEN
timetres. The larger ones, say above 43
centimetres, were all females. Their colOrs
ranged from almost a brick-red to pale
pinkish white, with markings from black to
vandyke brown, which showed no regular
ity in details, appearing as if each lizard
had been the subject of some Chinese artist,
who aimed only at the general effect. They
all came to my fathers establishment, in
Rochester, by express; and the shaking-up
and lack of freedom that they had under
gone served to make them very irritable.
When first liberated from their continuing
boxes their first desire was TO get hold of
the nearest person, and, although usually
very sluggish, they would then move with
surprising agility, turning end for end, and
making short dashes hither and thither with
great swiftness.
When one succeeded in fastening its teeth
in my clothes it held on with the tenscity
of a bulldog, occasionally giving a vicious
shake TO its head, as If trying TO tear away
a pie of the cloth. Nor was this pugnaci-
ty confined alone to the time of their ar
rival but continued in lesser degrees during
the entire time that had them under OBJ
servation. Once | saw pitched battle be-
tween two. One had its teeth firmly fixed
in the throat of the other, who, in turn. had
q leg Of the first in his jaws. Together they
rolled and twisted over the floor, neither re-
Taxing its hold for period oil fifteen min
utes. Blood was drawn on botn sides, yet
neither afterward appeared the worse for
the conflict | then tried two of them on a
hen, to ascertain if they would p'oye
poisonous to her. Having first shaved the
thigh of tue hen, so that the feathers might
not interfere with the entrance Of any
poison, induced one of the lizards to take
hold.
This it readily did, and retained its grip
for five minutes, occasionally shaking its
head in a savage manner During the opera
ton the hen appeared quite lmpasslve, and
although not tied made no attempts TO es-
cane. evidently charmed by the lizard. A
little blood was drawn, showing that the
flesh had been thoroughly pierced. For
perhaps a half hour afterward the hen ap-
peared a trihe stupid, but soon regalned lis
normal condition, and gave no signs at all OF
noisoniuy. Two DAYS later | repeated the
exneriment with another lizard, with
similar lack of results ! then caused one
of them 10 bite the edge of II saucer aud
with a hvpodermic syringe injected the
Amid obtained in the breast Of a pigeon.
No effect. Then, exciting one 50 that u
yiciously bit a small piece of WOOD, drew
a considerable quantity of fiuid direct IRON
its mouth, which, injected INTO the pigeon
breast, produced no results.