Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-01-04
.1OLITENESS DID HIM.
DE CAPTURE OF A LIZARD WITH A
BRITTLE BLUE TAIL.

Prize In Trinidad Gardens.
"In all my travels after things THAI
crawl and creep, said G. r. O'Reilly, thu
snake hunter, 81 have never found ant
reptile as hard to capture as tho big Trim
ldad lizard. He's prize when you dc
capture him. Besides being very boauti
full he is unique, as far as l know, for
never found any lizard like him anywheU
else than on tho island of Trinidad. Ii
length he is about Is inches and is brown
IN color, with beautiful leopard spots.
But his tail is his chief point of beauty.
1t is a magnificent iridCscent blue, such
hue as you find nowhere else in nature
that l know Of except in the Brazilian
sun butterfly, whose azure wings reflect
the light like polished steel. This tail il
Ms brittle as it is beautiful, and when the
reptile is dug out of his hole the tail is in
variably broken in the capture. Several
lizards thus taken were sent to me, but
cot one of them was intact.
"Tho first capture l ever made Of one
Of these fellows was achieved by the cX-
ercise of the most Corcmonious poltCness
not on my part, but on the part of "a
friend who was my unconscious assistant
In the capture. 1t was in the Royal Bo-
tanical gardens of Trinidad, just outside
the city. Part of the gardens is quito
wild, and in this part several of the big
lizards had taken up their abode
Zone fine sunny day Assistant Botanis
Broadway and j. II. Hart, fellow of the
LinnGan society, and l were out walking,
|, as usual, carrying my long snake stick,
6 foot rod with bend at one end. In
tho midst of the least frequontod spot in
the gardens we saw splendid big lizard
basking in the sun on a big open space.
He was probably 20 yards from his hole,
and we were farther from him than that.
To try to catch him by dash would be
foolish, for he would be at his hole long
before the swiftest runner could overtake
him. These fellows travel faster than any
other creeping or crawling thing l know
Of My two companions and l halted and
looked at the lizard. He had seen us and
turned his head in our direction.
I'D like to get that fellow, said I.
First catch your lizard, remarked
Broadway, making imaginary quotation
marks in the air with his forefnger. Or
catch the tail, which will do just as well.
You won't get them both together
"'Yes, will, said l, If you fellows
help me- for an idea had struck me, and
determined to put it into execution.
"They agreed to do anything they could,
adding some skeptical sarcastic side re-
marks. All this time the lizard had kept
his eyes fixed ON us. Apparently he was
satisfied that as long as we moved no
nearer, he was all right. l proceeded to
arrange my plan of campaign, giving or
doris to my two companions. Only one Of
them was needful to carry out my scheme,
so 1 sent Broadway to climb 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 1 hear. l want
you to get together all the courtesy therl
is in you and display it for the benefit OF
that lizard. just suppose the animal tc
be the queen of England and your biggest
creditor and the only girl you ever loved
all in one and address it accordingly.
What l particularly want from you is ac'
ton, however, a sort Of minuet perform.
ance, bows and scrapes and nourishcs.
O'Reilly,' said Hart, eying me dis.
trustfully either you're trying to mako
guy of me or you re more of a blatherinG
idiot than 1 ever took you for, and that's
useless.
"'You can revile me all you want to-,
said /, only be courteous to the gentleman
with the sky blue tail over yonder, and
now begin. I'm going to start
Then began the most beautiful eXhibi.
ton of gallantry that have ever witness.
ed. Hart began by taking off his hat and
making a low bow to the lizard. He as
Bured the beast that he had no intention
of intruding on it's after dinner siesta
| (bow and scrapel but that the fame Of
the beauty of it's iridescent tail (hand on
heart and another bow had drawn him
hther to observe spectacle of mugnih-
Cence such as never before had gladdened
his eyes (three dance steps, two waves of
the hat and profound obeisance). For five
minutes he went on giving the lizard
taffy, and | 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
torn. He was immensely interested and
amused and fattered. Here was very
large two legged animal caperlng before
| him in the most entertaining fashion and
making queer noises of a not unpleasant
nature entirely for his benefit and all tho
]
| proper and respectful distance. What
I more could lizard expect than to have
amusement furnished him at his own
home? He cooked his head first on one
side and then on the other. He blinkeG
his eyes and gently waved his tail. 4
more contcnted lizard couldn't be found
! In all Trinidad.
"Whilo the performance was going on !
mad made detour and was nearing spot
where l would be between the quarry and
his hole. The lizard was too much attract
ed by Harris continuous performance to
pay any attention to me, and presently
found myself within few yards of him
and just behind him. About this time 1
Noticed that Harris language had altered
!or the worse. His stock of compliments
lad been exhausted, and though his de
pertinent was as ceremonious his gestures
as graceful and his voice as soft as before
the language he used comported i'll with
these manifestations.
oh, if l only had you in reach, he
said, with sweet smile and wave of the
hand and in dulCet tones, wouldn't I
Ihow you a trick in poitenessl Yes, wink
1t me, you miserable, bloated, polka dot
I'd earthworm. Wag your greasy blue
iail In about two seconds there'll be a
stick over your neck, you slithery, Shiny
leformed mud grubber. III teach you
what polteness is when 1 get you in a
| sapp Init the boot will be on the other