I 78 NATURE STUDY. 



Catching of Lizards. 



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 easilj^ as he drops his tail, there 

 might be many cases of mistaken identitj' to record. This readi- 

 ness 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 Orleans. The chameleon, as he is called, 

 has many points about him that have rendered him attractive or con- 

 spicuous, and the demand for him in sections of the country not ly- 

 ing near the eastern and central part of the Mexican Gulf has been 

 steady for some time. 



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 docility has also helped to place him in the category of pets. 

 The changing of color is an altogether voluntary affair, and is per- 

 formed for protective purposes. Many birds, while they are of a 

 color that accords with their commonest surroundings, are often ex- 

 posed by their presence in some other surroundings. But the rem- 

 edy for them in such cases is simple; they need merely fly to the 

 surroundings that protect them. The chameleon, however, not be- 

 ing able to get as rapidly from one environment to another as the 

 birds, takes the precaution to work up as quickly as possible to the 

 shade of the particular surface on which he rests. From clear green 

 to a muddy dark brown there are many shades through brown, olive 

 brown and olive green. There is no one of these that the chameleon 

 cannot assume for himself. 



As an insect destroyer the chameleon is unexcelled. There has 

 been some rumor latety to the effect that the dealers who ship liz- 

 ards from here take advantage of this fact, and that large shipments 

 of chamaleons are being made to California to rid the fruit orchards 

 of insects. When asked about this matter recently, most of the 

 bird and pet dealers professed 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 country. Those vouchsafing the in- 

 formation said they did not know whether dealers in California to 

 whom the lizards are shipped sold them for the purpose of destroy- 

 ing insects. At all events, great numbers of the little reptiles are 



