Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1889-06-21
INTERESTING LIZARDS.
Poculiarities OF the AsIAtIo Chameleon IN
tho African Gecko

and almost innumerable species, two
OF the most interesting are the chams-
leon and the gccko, of Asia and Africa.
The first OF these has long been famous
for Its power of changing color; but
this has been somewhat exaggerated.
AS a fact, however, a chameleon whose
primary hue is gray black, will some
times be striped like a zebra, with light
yellow, or covered with circular vel
low spots, sometimes brilliant green,
and sometimes will take the hue of the
autumnal leaves on the branch where
1t Is sitting. 80 that the creature can
hardly be distinguished from the fol-
age.
The chameleon's tongue has a Wis
cid secretion on the end, and he aims
it as a btlliard-player does his cue,
da"ting it out at q passing fly. who is
struck and stuck at the same time
He Is a slow moving fellow, and in
climbing a tree will sometimes after
raising one foot hold it in air a long
time, as if he had gone to sleep and
forgotten to take the intended stop.
His progress is like the hour-hand of
watch; but eventually he gets there.
The gecko is noted for its ability to
run up per pendicular wall, which it
does by the use of its peculiar feet, in
which the toes are expanded at their
extremities into disc furnished with
claws This. apparatus enables it to
travel regardless of the laws of gravi-
tation, like q common house-fy,
whose feet resemble the gecko's. It
is said that a prisoner in high stone
tower was once released by O. friend
tying thread to the hind leg of a
gecko, and starting him up the wall
under the prisoners window. The
creature glided up anil carried the
thread to the captive, who by this
means pulled up stouter line by
which he made his escape. The gecko
is often regarded with superstitious
awe by the natives on account of his
silent movements Treasure Trove.
Young Man-s'Sir,' I went to mar
ry your daughter" Old Man-"Oh,
you do! do youP Well, are you to be
my son-in-law or am I to be your
father-in-lawp" Young Man (dazed)
why, why, sir, it's all the same, isn't
itP" Old Man-''Not at all; not at
all, sir. If you are to be my son-in-
law you can't have her, I've got two
or three sons-in-law already to sup
port "-Washington Critio.
-'tDomestic animals in Greenland
must have hard life Of It," she said.
'Why SOP" he asked. Because" she
explained, giving him stony stare,
'.the people of that country have no
doors to their houses, and when a man
gets mad at his wifs's cooking, or
comes home and finds dinner ten min
utes late, and no door to slam, he must
necessarily kick the dog or cat clear
across the room to relieve his feel
ings. s."-Norristown Herald.
Mot settled, but lit," is the way
some one out West spoke of minister
who is in the habit of changing his set-
Elements about as often as the moon,
and had lately gone to a new place. A
dismal fact it is that so many ministers
fit from church to church, In each
place having time to SOW little and reap
less. Is tho fault all on one sideP We
fear not "As thy servant was busy
here and there, he was gone." So
many who might have been won and
kept are allowed to slip away.--Ad-
vance. ... ...
.-Husband-"I must raise 81 800 to-
morrow or my note will go to protest,
and II my creditors once get started
after me am a ruined man." Wife
Don't fret dear. You can surely
raise that much on my diamonds
You know you said they were worth
$4,000 at the lowest valuation. And
as the memory OF the awful lie he
he'd told the day he gave her" that
$27 set OF gems rose up before his
guilty conscience, tho miserable man
betook, himself into tho outer darl-
moss with an exceedingly bitter cry.