The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-04-09
AN EYE THAT EXPLODES.
Curious Habit of the Horned Toad c

Curious Habit of the Horned Toad ol
 Lizard-A Beetle Bombarder.
 Look out! cried Mexican in big
 sombrero to an American, who was
 holding horned toad near his face and
 examining it through a niagnifyine
 glass. His eye, senor. Turn him the
 other way; don't you know he shoots
 hia eye?"
 "What' Exclaimed the American
 dropping the toad out of range quickly.
 How can he shoot his eye? What do
 you mean?'
 You don't believe it, eh? But have
 seen the horned toad shoot dog with his eye. I 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 eye. Tt is the target" he said.
 Then he took the dog in both hands and placed it's nose on that of the liz ard. The effect was instantaneous. The lizard crouched down, its eyes be- came swollen, pnffing up; as the dogs nose was pressed against it again there was a curious muscular depression 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, which whined and sreezed and when liberated ran about rubbing his jaws.
 The writer has repeated this experi- ment a 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 in- correctly called, are very plentiful. It was hot day and the little animals were very lively and difficult to capture. A hound was called and he presently caught lively individual. He placed his jaw on the lizards flat back and be- gan 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, it's eyes bulging out and suffused with blood. Later, a1r- other lizard, with bright yellow and brown tints, was run down, and as the writer put his hand on it his dog came up and nosed it. The lizard seemed to recognize the animal at once; it's eyes sank into its head and the next moment the winters face was sprinkled with a peculiar fluid, resembling blood, which had so singular an odor that for mo- ment the effect was slckening. The eyes of the lizard appeared badly swol- len and suffused with blood. The black jets were distinctly seen to shoot from the eyes, and that the delicate spray could be ejected foot from the eyes had been proved in this instance. While not poisonous, the fluid is with out doubt very disagreeable when strik- ing the eyes or nostrils. That this is a protective measure on the part of the horned toad there is little doubt, and the eye has gland which 1 can be emptied at 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 greens are often four.d to contain several, and l the insects may bn seen crossing roads | In the early morning The beetle is an | inch and quarter in the largest in- dividuals, perfectly black, the abdo- men pointed-all in all a handsome beetle. It is a long-legged, perched high, and ridiculously slow in its lum- oering movements. only flying at night, md then possibly at rare intervals. When this beetle Is alarmed it immed- ately elevates its body, and when touched ejects a fluid that is demoral- zing to dog or man. The writer has lad the fluid strike his hand at dis ano. of six or eight inches and so was it that slight dizzi- ness was produced, as when inhaling .ther The fluid leaves a dark reddish tain on the skin and is an irritant.- N.aur York Sun