Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-02-15

CpsIsss nablt q he nssnst Tssd o. L.
art-A Beetle Bsnbsrdes.

sLook out.r cried a Mexican In
big sombrero to an American, who was
holding n horned toad near his face
and examining II through magnifying
glass. His eye SENIOR. Turn him the
other way; don't you know he shoot
his eye?'
WHAT" exclaimed the American,
dropping the toad out of range quick
ly. slow can he shoot his eye? What
do you meany'
you don't believe it, Ell? But !
have seen the horned toad shoot dog
with his eye. / have seen a horned
toad shoot his eye at man and set
him most crazy"
Nonsense" said the tenderfoot.
Here's the toad; now make him shoot
his eye"
The Mexican sat upon the ground,
looking at the little animal. when along
came a Mexican dog, common here.
"Eh" cried the man, this will fix him.
Now watch, senor," and, taking out
a piece of cigarette paper. he asked the
American to hold it in front of the
lizards eyes. 1T is the target" he
said.
Then he took the dog In both hands
and placed its nose on that of the liz
ard. The effect was instantaneous.
The lizard crouched down. its eyes be-
came swollen, putting up; then as the
dogs nose was pressed against 1t again
there was a curious muscular depres-
sion in its eyes, they suddenly became
suffused with blood and jets shot out
of them; one hitting the paper, and
the other the nose of the dog who
whined and sneezed and when liber-
ated ran about rubbing his jaws.
The writer has repeated this expert
ment number of times. once on the
base of the Sierra Madres back OF
Los Angeles. where the lizards. or
horned toads as they are commonly and
incorrectly called, are very plentiful.
IT was hot day and the little animaA
were very lively and difficult to cap
ture. A hound was called and he pres
emily caught a lively Individual He
placed his paw ON the lizards fiat back
and began to smell it. but before the
observer could reach him he stepped
back and began to rub his nose on
the ground and scratch his head. as
though in distress. The lizard made
no attempt to go away, but seemed to
be blind. its eyes bulging out and sur
fused with blood. Later another liz
ard. with bright yellow and brown
tints. was run down. and as the writer
put his hand on ii his dog came up
and nosed il. The lizard seemed to
recognize the animal at once: its eyes
sank into its head and the next mo-
ment the writer's face was sprlnkled
with peculiar fluid. resembling blood,
which had so singular an odor that for
n moment the effect was slckening.
The eyes of the lizard now appeared
badly swollen and suffused with
blood. The black jets were distinctly
seen to shoot from the eyes, and that
the delicate spray could be elected Il
foot from the eyes had been proved
in this instance. While not poisonous,
the fluid is without doubt very dis
agreeable when striking the eyes or
nostrils. That this is protective
measure on the part of the horned toad
there is little doubt, and apparently
the eye has gland which can be
emptied Mt will to the confusion of the
lizards enemies.
This singular habit calls to mind a
beetle very common in California. On
the golf links the cups of the green's
are often found to contain several, and
the insects may be seen crossing roads
in the early morning. The beetle Is
an inch and n quarter in the largest in
dividuals. perfectly black. the abdomen
pointed--all i'm ALL n handsome beetle.
1t is long legged. perched high. and
ridiculously slow I'm its numbering
movements. only flying ut night and
then possibly at rare intervals. When
this beetle is alarmed. it Immediately
elevates its body and when touched
elects fluid that Is demoralizing to
dog or man. The writer has had the
fluid strike his hands Mt a distance Of
six or eight inches. and so overpow-
ering was il that slight dizziness was
produced. as when inhaling ether. The
fluid leaves dark reddish stain on
the skin and is an irritant.-New York
Sun.