KARROO BEASTS, BIRDS AND REPTILES. 265 



and, crossing it in a bee-line, drew up before Her 

 Britannic Majesty's Consul, to whom, with many jerky 

 inclinations of his gaunt, bright-green body, he made 

 what appeared to be a series of most obsequious bows. 

 Then, having obeyed the first requirements of etiquette, 

 he passed slowly along the line of guests, halting 

 occasionally and paying his respects to one or the other. 

 He seemed quite unabashed by all the notice and 

 applause which he received ; and as the plate in which 

 he finally deposited himself was handed round among 

 the guests, he calmly surveyed each one in turn, while 

 continuing, very literally, to " bow and scrape." If he 

 had been a paid performer, engaged beforehand, he 

 could not have played his little part better; and all 

 agreed in giving him a vote of thanks for his timely 

 appearance, which just gave us the mental pick-me-up 

 which, on that enervating day, we all needed. I be- 

 lieve some one carried him home at last in a paper 

 cage ; though whether he fulfilled the brilliant promise 

 of his first introduction to human society, and became 

 an intelligent pet, we never heard. 



