The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-02
LIZARDS TIE GIRLS WEAR.
THE BERoH SOCIETY VILE TRY TO
SIOP THE SAFE OF THEM

Looks ss " They Might Arrest the Girls for
Wearing Them, Too-The Alleged Cruelty
Not Connnsd TO the Dealers, who Get
Them By the Thousand from the south.
The sale OF little green lizards for ornaments
was ordered stopped yesterday. The Society
for the Prevention Of Cruelty to Animals gave
the order and says IL will be enforced. The
wearing OF these pretty animals tethered with
a gilt chain to a stick pin has been fad OF the
winter among the Rirls The young men. too.
who wanted to be quite up to date. have worn
them similarly fastened to their scarf pins.
Many Of the big dry goods houses have had
the lizards on sale. and those dealers in mems
furnishing goods who try to lead In every new
style have done rushing business In them.
They we're sold as American chameleons. a
name for which there Is somo authority In the
books Their popularity arises from the fact
that, like tho chameleon, they have the power
Of changing their color.
We had to stop It" said the superinten dent
Of the society last evening. People who
bought the lizards treated them as though
they were senseless articles Of jewelry. The
dealers kept them cruelty chained up and did
not feed them or protect them from the cold.
They died by hundreds. The ladies danced
through the night. though their little pets lay
dying on their breasts l went to the Palestine
Commandery ball the other night. and saw a
lady with very low-cut dress. / saw one OF
the crawling little creatures on the lace OF her
dress. and at first l was going to touch her
arm and tell her che had some foreign sub
stance on her. Just in time l realized that IL
was n chameleon. as they call them. On look
ing around the room I counted half dozen OF
them on as many girls. For my part don't
see how any woman can wear such thing.
As to the right OF the society to stop tho traffic.
we went over all that ground few years ago
when 1t was the fad to wear Brazilian beetles
attached to q pin by chain We succeeded
in stopping that"
A French dealer in novelties on Broadway
near the society's Offices said he had sold
thousands OF the lizards before the agents Of
the society interfered. When the agents first
spoke to him about 1t he liberated all his liz
ards. and made On enclosed space for them in
his show window. with q dish Of sweetened
water for them to drink. At FIRST he charged
% cents for them. then 81 cents as trade grew
brisk. and finally to meet the competition. he
SSa Ssr "a Ss RE
women who came 70 buy sometimes expressed
snSer at the society. and other women who
cover that their precious pets were rare and
Josie." called the dealer to one OF a group
OF pretty saleswoman. have you got George
Inc Youngest OIL tne group came up smiling.
She wore an Eton jacket She threw back
the left flap Of the Jacket and. reaching with
her right hand around under her left arm. she
drew out specimen OF the Am erican chame-
leon. The lizard was fully seven inches long
from tiG to tip but all except two inches q
he was Of light green eolor.awith patch OF
smack, "ChirpI chlrpi Georeis" she sale, and
the little monster blinked with one ere. Z" IL he
nSt n she ne S ss aSa
R cess hsh wants .G %o
stroke him under the chin He likes that"
ouad I've though
She said Z was unnecessary. She could al
along the under side OF his neck. which no
was going to break. She said he had not eaten
anything for day. She. was afraid he was
to one OF mis- eyes. and it seemed to be per-
manently closed. She said she fed him on
night lie liked to swim in warm water, While
she was talking the brown patch on his back
gradually d!sapgSSaTsd and the whole lizard
proprietor OF the store said one customer had
picked out brown lizard as being the right
It on a bit OF white lace. and In few minutes
the color changed TO green.
wholesale dealers who have been supplying
the trade He says tho fad began at tho Chi
counter whore the chameleons were sold at
tachsd to pins and hundreds OF thousands |
q them were carried home BY visitors there.
The demand has been constantly Increasing
and several firms are engaged IN bringing the |
lizards up by the thoussnd. They, come by |
with wire netting. Tho boxes are half filled |
You can feed them on a little sweetened |
water. II you want to-" said Mr.. Jacobs. but |
m ma In the air. The Society Tor the Pre-
yention OF Cruelty cannot stop the business, |
'hFs . no sE 5hs case
against catching, flies on NY paper or killing |
mice. The lizards are regarded as a nuisance |
them. They Kill them down there. Even II
some Of them do die coming up here, is It any
They do not suffer much You see. we box
them loose and they are as comfortable as
They do not die in captivity. / know a lady
who has one fastened to her parlor table. She
RSsEn and we'll sSe has s gwen R's s s to
eat but sweetensd water all that WHILE"
The bs is
green lizards belong is named the green Caro-
ina Anolis, or In Latin, Anohus PiRcpdhs,. 1t
Florida. Alabama. and Mississippi Most OF
the shipments to this city have been from |
sSd L Nensray about sI inaRes
from its nose to the tip Of its tail Sometimes |
this its fore legs are longer than its hind |
hooked CLAWS with = sort Of rad appended to |
the under side OF the last Joint which Increases
the power OF the hold. There is a large extent |
OF white skin extending from the chin 70 the |
belly. and wrinkled longitudinAlly, When |
angry thu lizard Is said 70 run up this loose |
81 In like a puffer pigeon, When overhested or |
fatiGued 1t pants like tired dog II Is gem
sects and IL easily alarmed. IT is particularly
listing uished by a black hand on the tenn pies |
and the elongated and fattened form Of its
muzZle.