The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-10-02
CATCHING OF LIZARDS.
They Are Used as Insect DestrOyers
and Are shipped in Large. Num-
bers from the south

There are probably very few persons
in New Orleans who have not seen the
little green lizard that hangs about
the trellis or the rose bushes. If they
knew that in the category of science
he was Anolis Carolinensis they might
have suspected that he was named for
his tail If he dropped his name as
easily as he drops his tail, there might
be many cases of mistaken identity to
record. This readiness to leave his
posterior member behind him is a
very important item in the economy
of lizard catching, which has become
a very extensive industry in New Or
leans. The chameleon, as he is called,
has many points about him that have
rendered him attractive or conspicu-
Gus, and the demand for him in Sec
lions of the country not lying near the
eastern and central part of the Mex
lean Gulf has been steady for some
time. reports the New Orleans Times
Democrat.
The changing of colors is perhaps
the habit of the chameleon that has
rendered him most attractive to the
lovers of the curious, though his do
cility has also helped to place him in
the category of pets. The changing
of color is an altogether voluntary
affair, and is performed for protective
purposes. Many birds, while they are
of color that accords with theircom-
monest surroundings, are often ex-
posed by their presence in some other
surroundings. But the remedy for
them in such cases is simple; they
need merely fly to the surroundings
that protect them. The chameleon,
however, not being able to get as
rapidly from one environment to
another as the birds, takes the pre-
caution to work up as quickly as pos
sible to the shade of the particular
surface on which he rests. From clear
green to muddy dark brown there
are many shades through brown,
olive brown and olive green. There
is no ore of these that the chameleon
cannot assume for himself
AS an insect destroyer the chame-
leon is unexcelled. There has been
some Tumor lately to the effect that
the dealers who ship lizards from
here take advantage of this fact, and
that large shipments of chameleons
are being made to California to rid
the fruit orchards of insects. When
asked about this matter recently, most
of ha l,ir on6
ignorance of the matter, though at
one store it was learned that large
shipments are made to California as
well as to other parts of the coun-
try. Those vouchsafing the informa-
ton said they did not know whether
dealers in California to whom the
lizards are shipped sold them for the
purpose of destroying insects. At all
events, great numbers of the little
reptiles are constantly sent out of
New Orleans. The dealers here buy
them for one dollar a hundred. and
in sending away large quantities they
double the cost. Single specimens
sell at ten cents. The reporter was
shown a consignment of 500 that were
to go to Philadelphia. They were
Gagged in an ordinary dry goods box,
with netting on one side. Wet sponges
were Hut in the box. The percentage
of deaths when the chameleons are
shipped with ordinary experience is
seldom over ten per cent. Before be-
ing sent away the lizards are kept in
large bird cages. In that case the
percentage is about one, not counting
the death of those injured in being
caught.