Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-08-22
SIGHTS IN MEXICO.
Jumbo Snails-Wonderful Butterfiies-Arma-
dillnS as Ennd-Ihe Ipuana

dillOs as FOOd-The Iguana.
The trees are covered with orchid is,
lovely in form and hue, exquisite of odor,
infinite in variety, says Xalapa CORES
pondent of the San Francisco Chronicle
In the course of one afternoon gathered
more than one dozen species, besides a
whole flower press full of ferns and bios
SONS, as an Incidental in the collection of
butterflies and land shells.
Of the latter there are over 100 varie-
ties in the neighborhood of Xalapa, from
the tiny strebeliLg, newly discovered by
my hostess, who is a full -blO0ded TotOnac
In dian, to the great hernia phrodite CLAN
dina sowerbyana, whose shell reaches
length of IL centimeters or inches. while
the extended snail not infrequently meas
ures 81 or inches. And the butterflies!
oh, the butterflies! I remember once
caviling at Edwin Arnold's smile in "The
light of Asia" wherein ne speaks of but
terfies as "jeweled objects" The term
seemed Inappropriate to the yelvety tex
ture of the butterfly; but bow to it's ac-
0uracy, having seen the butterflies of
Xalapa. White, black, red, purple, brown,
golden they shine, and many of them
glitter with the brillIancy Of gems. One
particularly beautiful variety is familiar
ly known as "the figures" from the mark
on the under side OF it's wings. The
spread of wing of some of bese gorgeous
creatures is often eight or ten inches, and
the night moths have wings larger than
those of doves in many species.
Armadillos are, if not abundant, not
rare hereabouts and they find ready pur-
chasers at from 80 to so cents. The flesh
is very delicate and savory. The tavorite
do IF IS hu of har
In its own shell. This shell is a slightly
| OH ect, with it's graduated bosses and COL
rug atoms, and it has been utilized be
deft needlewomen for the ground work of
many pretty bags and boxes. The persons
EN- ploy ed in field labor use these shells to
| hold the seed for sowing. To meet these
| purposes the lateral edges are bent to-
| gether while green and laced fast by cords
or hide thongs. Although it would appear
| to be cleaner animal than the armadiilo
| the opossum, it seems, is disdained as
| food element by the Mexicans, although
| it is SO splendid hereaoouts that ju is
| largely trapped for its depredations in
the poultry yard. Strange that this dis
elimination should exist, for the armada
| 10 is somewhat omniverous and it is
asserted that it has been kaown to make
gho1lish raids on graveyards while the
favorite of the southern darkies is more
| fastidious creature.
| There exists hereao bouts a belief that the
| tail of the opossum, dried and pulverized
and drunk in wine, is sovereign remedy
| for ehiils and feve- Another animal con-
sidered tidbit of the people of the low
lands makes decidedly repulsive i'm
preston upon unaccustomed strangers.
I his is an iguana, or lizard, which the
natives catch and confine in the thatcbed-
rooted peaks of their houses. Some
people declare that in order to fatten
properly the mouth of the iguana must be
closed by a few stitches to prevent it
from eating. The truth probably is that
the wider the poor creatures mouth is
| left open the sooner 1t completes the
process of fattening, as it doubtless lives
on the various larvss and beetles bred in
the straw or palm of the thatchipg. An
other of the resources of the commissary
departments is a shrub which is called
bequinite, or else pitos (whistles) from
the shape of the flowers, which are of a
deep scarlet, some three inches in length,
growing in clusters. These conical heads
are cooked either as green's or in the sha pc
of force meat balls, and they have, it is
said, all the flavor OF good meat. I have
It is we'll that there are to be had such
toothsoule varieties in the food line, for
the Xalapa market is dear and poor, and
on Fridays in Lent the question of butch
er's meat is vexed one. Xaiapa is closely
akin TO some places in California in the
matter of the lively flea, his tenure of
office and antics. There are also 'mosqui-
toes in abundance and vicious little gnat
rodador or ''rounder," whose sting burns
like fire and leaves tiny speck of scarlet
in the flesh of its victim. Happily this
pest is not common. There are scorpions
and other venomous insects, but their
sting is only painful, not fatal. There is
also rattlesnake which is not venomous,
and a horned serpent, and another snake
which the wiseacres were fam to find a
realization of the tabled amphisboena,
which was said to have head at each end
and TO run with equal facility in either
direction. The present variety has beer
shown, however, TO have the customary
mead and tail end, the two being marsed-
iy alike in appearance.