Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-11-12
WAS TRAPPED BY POLITENESS,
CAPTURE OF A LIZARD WITH a
BRITTLE BLUE TAIL.
The Lizard Was shy ana pimeuit
10 Approaeh. hut 1t REL Victim
to the Courteous snake Hunter's
Friend.

o
big Trinidad Lizard. He's PIKE Wheh
{ you do capture him. Besides being very
3 beautiful he Is unique. 50 Tar as
know. for never found any nLafu i4Ae
him anywhere else than on nc lsiAha
I OF Trinidad. In length he ~ ABOUT 10
Inches and Is brown In color Win
beautiful leopard spots. But ms TAI IS
his chief point OF beauty. i, IL mag
nlhcent lridsscent blue such nue. as
you can find nowhere else ~ nature
except In the big Braz Ian butierhy,
whose azure wings reflex me hsns
like polished Rteel This tail Is as brit-
tie as 1t Is beautiful. and when the
reptile Is dug out Of his hole Inc tan
II Invariably broken In the capture
Several l!zaTds thus taken were sent
10 me. but not one OF them was intact.
For the rest. the Trinidad lizard Is
wonderfully quick In his movements
and as he never ventures Tar rom ms
hole, and 10 shy and quick 10 take
fright 1t is no easy matter 70 ealch
him. Moreover. he has powerful Jaws,
and when he se'zes anything ne eAhsS
to II with bulldog tenaclty.
THE first capture ever MADE OF one
OF these fellows was achieved by the
exercise OF the most ceremonious polite
ness not on my part, but on the part
OF a friend who was my unconscious
assistant In the capture. IL was ~ the
Royal Botanical Gardens OF Trinldad'
Just outside the city. Part OF the gar
dens Is quite Wild, and In this part
several Of the big lizards had taken up
their abode. one fine sunny day As
slstant Botanist Broadway and J. II
Hart, fellow Of The, Linnaean Society
and ! were out Walking, ] as usual
carrying my long shake stick, a SIX
foot rod with bend at one end. In
the midst Of the least freduented spot
In the gardens we saw a splendid big
lizard basising in the sun In big open
spree. He was probably 20 yards from
his hole. and we were further from his
than that. To try 10 catch him By
da9h would be foolish, for he would De
~ his hole lcng before the swiftest
runner could oyertake nom, These Eel
lews travel faster than any other creep
Ing or crawling thing / know Of. aiy
two companions and l halted and look
cd at the lizard. He had seen Us and
turned his head In our direction.
" ia Ike 10 get that fellow, said ].
"'Ies. / suppose GU would replied
Hart, WAC had had some experience
with these animals, but don't believe
you'll do II very soon unles9 You dig
for him Did you eyor put salt ca a
robins tail?
NO: and 1 never tried. what's
more. said /, But III put some sult
GA that Lizards tail " YOU'D like TO see
First catch your lizard, remarked
Broadway, making imaginary quota
ton marks IN the air with his fore
finger. or catch the tail which viii
do Just as well. You won't get them
both together
"'Yes, 1 WILL said /. ~ you fellows
will help me- for an idea had sud
denly struck me. aud | determined to
put II into execution.
They agreed 10 do anything they
could. adding some skeptlcal sarcastic
slide remarks. All THIS time the lizard
had Kept his eyes fixed on us. Appar-
entity he was satisfied That sr- long as
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
needful to carry out my scheme 80 /
sent Broadway to climb a tree, where
he could be out OF the way. and then
said 70 my other companion: 50.
Now, Hart, you've got reputa- |
! want you to get together Mi the |
courtesy there Is In you and display |
II Tor the benetit OF that lizard Just |
suppose the animal to be the dueen /
OF England and your biggeat creditor
anu the only slrl You ever loved all |
m one, and address IL accordingly. |
what / particularly want from YOU Is !
action however; n sort OF minuet per-
tormancc. bows and scrapes and fl6ur
ishes with your hat; mods md beclt. |
ana wreethed smlles" and all that 1
sort o. tnng. Whatever you say TO
NE i ,6ns say IT In soft and persua-
:, 'o'Rsllly,' said Harte. cycling me
cistrus'fnlly, either you arc irving
20 make guy OF me or you're more
OF a hlalhering IDIOT than ever took
You Tor. and that's useless
ioh cen revile me all you want to-"
SAID l. only be courteous to the gen
tleman with the sky blue tail S
start Suns 20
Then began the most beautiful ex-
mblllon OF gallantry that ] have ever
witnessed. Hart began by taking on
ms nat and making a low bow 10 the
ll.Std, lie assured tho beast that
NC hNu no intention Of lntrudlng on its
49,. utnner slesin chow and scrape)
~. that the fame ~ the beauty OF Its
lrldescsnt tall Gland on heart and an
otuer pow) had drawn him hlther Ia
'oserNe a Spectacle OF magnlficenca
iueh as never before had Claddensd
nus eyes uhrce dance steps, two waves
pr the hat and profound obeslancpl
r,or I'VE minutes he went on giving
KY, KY lizard lany, and l could hear
sloauWay cackling from his perch IN
me tree like a whole flock or ehtcL'
MS hut You never saw anything SO
Pleased as that lizard Tn. Who'll.
performances Just took him by storm
ne was Immediately Interested and
thAseu ana battered. Here was +,
'esy large Two legged animal cnpering
2fl9re hin IN the most entertaining
.ashlen, and making queer noises OF a
ipt unpleasant nature. entirely FOR his
lenehts and all the time having the
suuu taste 10 keep at n proper and
espeettui distance. What more could
ll1ard expect than to have anus
ueht furnished for him at his own
IONIC lie poked his head first on
ne size and then on the other. He
'nnkrd MS eyes and gently waved
rs tau 5aore content lizard could
'ut be fouad In MI Trinidad
" ME the performances was going
IN l mad made long detour and was
leNlng SPOT where l would be be-
Mcen the quarry and his hole. The
laari WAS too much attracted BY
iRrts continuous performance TO nay
my attention TO me. and presently l
ound myself within q few yards OF
I'm ana Just beAind him. About this
me ! ncteed that Harris language
laa altered for the worse. HIS stock
y compliments had been exhausted,
md, iAough his department was as
eiNmonious. his gesures graceful.
ma MS voice az soft az before, the
lnRuAgo ne used cnmporsed IN with
hose Manifestations"
ron, II only had you In reach
g sNi, with q sweet smile and wave