The morning times., 1896-04-19
Strange ~
Little
* Animal.
~
IN
copyrighted by ]. c. Beard.


that Spain, for the time being, at least,
has become a little unhealthy for Amer
leans, showed me the other day re-
markable object which he took from a
little red box pierced full OF holes
You may likely enough mistake 1t for
n japanese grOteSque in bronco he said,
winch, TO tell the truth, misled by it's i'm
moblnty, it's color and its ou,landish appea r.
ance, was the Identical thing j had done.
But, he continued, ''he is alive though
fast asleep. ] found him in an Old mon
astery garden in the environs OF Toledo.
When first saw him, a noon, us is common
WIN great ma ajority of his Fellow citf zens
ne was lndulging in his midday siesta.
tooR MN for some queer vege table ex-
creSence growing out of the branch
or the olive tree upon which he rested.
Exactly matching the greenish gray bark
iii color, the granula ted texture of his
mottled hide looked like the scaly surface
OF a nchen-covered knot, and it was only on
closest inspection ] determined his real
nature. Touch him up a bit He is q
Spaniard, and looks ugly, but he can't hurt
anything bigger than fly or a Cock-roach."
In response to my friends suggestion
gave him a gentle poke with the ferule
OF my umbrella, and he began by slow
ihStailinents to wake up; that is, the side
next me gradually showed signs of life
one fore leg moved with the almost inn
perceptlble progress OF the minute hand
OF clock, and his hind leg on the same
niue aino qulFereu. His color changed
more rapidly until the half OF his body
nearest me was almost black. while that
winch mad not been touched remained
It's original light gray-green, the hue OF
oXldiZed bronze
by thIS knew the creature must be one
OF the vermillingues. Although quite IA
nliiar with the American lizard, Incorrect
lala 4 h,,xy
seen IN animal like this and examined
IL win feelings Of the liveliest interest and
curiosity. The awakening process went on
Dy easy stages, until the eve next me
opened aud one side OF the repuile was
pliilniy wide awake, while the other WAS
as obviously raSt asleep. | then walked I'D
Ihe other side, and IL was Que OF the oldest
tiillgs you can Imagine TO see its glaring
eyes, covered except in the center nv skin
look in different directions ut the same
tltne, The one directed forward and the
other backward. Ny friend placed a small
roach the kept box OF them for the pur-
pose OF reedin his pet), within range OF one
oi lIs sswivel-mounted organs OF vision, and
the show began
The half animal on that side evidently
communicated the fact to the other half,
lot Dolh eyes were for the first time fas-
tened on the same object TIE roach
was considerable distance away. and
wondered how the torpid, slow moving
creature would manage 10 approach the
insect 10 capture 1t. The two halves OF
the animal having consulted over the
matter and reached conclusion, the shape
Iess mouth opened and tongue that
seemed 10 lack perhaps a third OF being as
long as the creature itself, shot out, struck
the roach, and stuck the roach on it's adj
hesive ub-shaped end and ierked it back
fnstanter into the cavernous depths OF
hi ia
rapid movement the animal is ever guilty
Of
His little game'' is to lie low TO blush
all over the particular color of his en-
yronment (and he has an eye for color. to
look as much as possible like a rock, or
bank, or sand, and then TO approach his
prey SO silently, so slowly so gradually. and
so tnpercepubly that he seems rather
TO grow than to go in their direction
III the prey is, as is generally the case
a blue bottlefly and is making an elab-
crate toilet after the manner of such
insects, twisting his fore legs together in
'front.' and then rubbing them over his
head until he seems about to break it
away from the body, the probability is
that he has become so engrossed in the
interesting occupation as TO allow the
reptile TO bring him in range and in
continently end his career of usefulness
Nlnety-nlne times out of a thousand, how
ever, ne loses patience and flies away.
On scratching Scalywag," the name my
friend had given this interesting pet,
with lead pencil, he began to swell
with Indignation and kept it up until
he seemed to be at least twice his original
size.
Standing high on his slender legs he
appeared an incarnate nightmare. Ger
tainly no artist in portraying the inhab-
ftants of Hades, giving rein to his widest
fancies, ever depicted so menacing, so
groiesque horror. Doubtless this is his
protection; few birds or beasts would
care TO attack such a venomous looking
creature. The changes OF color he can
command, am assured, are in popular ac-
counts much eSaggcratedanddono do n OF greatly
exceed those of our own anCls OF Florida.
The CHIEF interest connected with this
Spanish chameleon is his double conscious
ness which is unparalleled among living
animals. So complete is this that if the
creature falls into water the two half in
dividuais Of which il is composed become
so frightened and confused that each at
tempt to act on its own account renders no
coordinate movements possible, and the
animal invariably browns.