The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-26
TRAPPED BY POLITENESS.
The Capture Of 4 Lizard With a Brittle
Blue Tail.
The Lizard Was Shy and Difficult to
Approach, but It Fell a Victim to the
Courtsous Snake Huntar,s Friend.


reptile as hard TO capture as the big Trim
idad lizard. He's a prize when you cap
ture him. Besides being very beautiful.
he is unique. so far as L know. for 1 never
found any lizard like him anywhere else
than on the island Of Trinidad in fength
ne Is about fifteen inches, and is brown
in color, with beautiful leopard spots.
But his tail is his chief point of beauty.
1t is a magnificent irridescsnt blue. such
a hue as you find nowhere else in nature
that I know of except in the big Bra
lillian sun butterfly whose azure wings
reflect the light like polished steel. This
tail is as brittle as it is beautiful. and
when the reptile is dug out of his hole
the tail is invariably broken in the cap
ture. Several lizards thus taken were
sent to me. but not one of them was in
tact. For the rest, the Trinidad lizard is
wonderfully quick in his movements. and
as he never ventures far from his hole,
and is shy and quick to take fright. il
is no easy matter to catch him. More
over he has powerful jaws. and when
he seizes anything he clings to it with
bulldog tenacity.
The first capture l ever made of one
of these fellows was achieved by the ex-
ercise of the most ceremonious politeness;
not on my part, but on the part of a friend
who was my unconscious assistant in the
capture. In was in the Royal Botanical
Gardens of Trinidad, just outside the city.
Part of the garden is quite wild and in
this part several of the big lizards had
taken up their abode. one fine sunny
day Assistant Botanist Broadway and j.
II. Hart, fellow of the Linnaean Society,
and / We're out walking, I as usual car
rying my long snake stick, a six-foot
rod, with a bend at one end. In the midst
of the least frequented spot in the gardens
we saw a splendid big lizard basking in
the sun in a big open space. He was
probably twenty yards from the hole, and
we We're further from him than that.
To try to catch him by a dash would be
foolish, for he would be at his hole long
before the swiftest runner could over
take him. These fellows travel faster than
any other creeping or crawling thing that
1 know Of. My two companions and I
halted and looked at the lizard. He had
seen us and turned his head in our direc-
ton.
I'd like TO get that fellow said I.
" Yes, 1 suppose you would. replied
Hart, who had some experience with
these animals, but / don't believe you'u
do it very soon unless you dig for him.
Did you ever put salt on a robins tail?"
" NO; 1 never tried, what's more, said
7. But I'll put some salt on that lizards
tail if you'd like to see me-
" First catch your lizard remarked
Broadway, making imaginary quotations
marks in the air with his forehnger. or
catch the tail, which will do just as
well. You won't get them both to-
gether.'
Yes. I will said I, If you fellows
will help me- for an idea had suddenly
struck me, and determined to put it in
to execution.
"They agreed to do anything they
could, adding some skeptical sarcastic side
remarks. All this time the lizard had
kept his eyes fixed on us. Apparently he
was satisfied that as long we moved
no nearer he was all right. ! proceeded
to arrange my plan of campaign, giving
orders to my two companions. Only one
of them was needed to carry out my
scheme so 1 sent Broadway to climb a
tree, where he could be out of the way,
and then said to my other companion:
" Now, Hart, you've got a reputation
here for being polite, so / hear 1 want
you to get together all the courtesy there
is in you and display it for the benefit
of that lizard. Just suppose the animal
to be the Queen of England and your
biggest creditor and the only girl you
ever loved all in one, and address it
accordingly. What I particularly want
from you is action, however, a sort of
minuet performance; bows and scrapes
and hourishes with your hat; mods and
becks and wreathed smiles" and all that
sort of thing. Whatever you say to the
lizard say it in soft and persuasive tones
" 90 Rielly,' said Hart, cycling me dis
trustfully Either you're trying to make
a guy of me or you're more of a blathering
idiot than / ever took you for, and that's
useless
"'You can revile me all you want to,
said 1; only be courteous to the gentle
man with the sl1y-blue tail over yonder
and now begin I'm going to start.
Then began the most beautiful exhibit
ton of gallantry that / have ever wit
messed. Hart began by taking off his hat
and making a low bow to the lizard. He
assured the beast that he had no inten-
ton of intruding on its after-dinner
siesta" (bow and scrape), "but that the
fame of the beauty of it's iridescent tail'
(hand on heart and another bow had
drawn him hther to observe the spec
tace of magniicence such as never be-
fore had gladdened his eyes" (three dance
steps, two waves of the hat and profound
obesiance) For five minutes he went
on giving the lizard taffy and 1 could hear
Broadway cackling from his perch in the
tree like a whole flock of Chickens But
YOU never saw anything so pleased as
that lizard The whole performance just
took him by storm. He was immensely
interested and amused and hattered. Here
pering before him in the most entertaining
fashion, and making queer noises of a
not unpleasant nature, entirely for his
benefit; and all the time having the good
taste to keep at proper and respectful
distance. What more could a lizard ex-
pect than to have amusement furnished
for him at his own home? He cooked his I
head first on one side and then on the
other He bllnked his eyes and gently
waved his tail. A more contented lizard
couldn't be found in all Trinidad.
while the performance was going on I
had made a detour and was nearing a
spot where 1 would be between the quarry
and his hole. The lizard was too much at
tracted by Harris continuous performance
to pay any attention to me, and presently
1 found myself within a few yards of him
and just behind him. About this time ]
noticed that Harris language has altered
for'the worse His stock of compliments
had been exhausted, and, though his de-
POISONED RI ooh