A MINIMIZED IGUANODON. 



Among) the curious food-stuffs to 

 which we were introduced by the, In- 

 dians in the Orinoco country and, from 

 ahnost sheer necessity, compelled to eat, 

 was nothing less than the flesh of a great 

 green lizard, called the iguana. This 

 first introduction to such a novel dish 

 was not enthusiastic, as the idea of mak- 

 ing a repast upon a reptile — a lizard — 

 was somewhat repulsive to what we con- 

 ceived to be our refined taste. Yet almost 

 the first morsel dissipated our aversion 

 as it proved to be beyond doubt one of 

 the choicest delicacies of the tropics. The 

 flesh is a most clean and dainty white 

 and as tender as a spring chicken. The 

 taste, while extremely agreeable and pal- 

 atable at the very outset, is comparable 

 to nothing else, unless it may be some- 

 what similar to frog's legs. 



We had frequently observed this 

 quaint, horny-backed creature plunging 

 into the streams as we approached and 



though regaled by our muleteer with 

 many stories as to its superior virtues as 

 an edible, we had awaited the actual 

 'pinchings of hunger for fresh meat to 

 receive our initiation. It was the be- 

 ginning of miany subsequent meals upon 

 the iguana, and we afterwards craved it 

 when scarce, and would quadruple the 

 ordinary price in order to secure speci- 

 mens. 



This lizard is both land and aquatic 

 in its habits, subsisting largely upon 

 bulbs and insects, with an occasional ap- 

 petite for small fish. It is a light green 

 color and. with its armored back some- 

 what like an alligator, has a rather for- 

 midable appearance, but is harmless and 

 easily captured, especially when found 

 in trees whither it goes in search • of 

 juicy bulbs, buds and bird's eggs. It is 

 thought to belong to the same family as 

 the giant lizard, to which science has 

 igiven the name of iguanodon. 



Andrew James M,iller. 



THE FARMER AND THE BARN SWALLOWS. 



I have read an acount of the kindness 

 to a sitting bird, of Mr. Corliss, the en- 

 gine builder, how he delayed a part of 

 his work on a contract because it would 

 interfere with her, and how he planned 

 not to frighten her from her nest. Such 

 men are our true noblemen. 



I should like to relate something akin 

 to the foregoing, as a tribute to the mem- 

 ory of my father, who was always a 

 friend to our dumb animals. 



On my grandfather's farm in Box ford. 

 Massachusetts, were two old-fashioned 

 barns. Among the beams and rafters 

 of these, an innumerable multitude of 

 swallows had their nests every summer. 

 For a good many years my father was the 



last one to leave the barns at night, and 

 during the nesting time of the swallows 

 he would never close the doors until they 

 had all gone in. To be sure there were 

 little windows which were left open all 

 of the night, but the swalloys flew in and 

 out at the doors, and he feared that they 

 might not go in at the windows, so, no 

 matter how tired after a hard day's work, 

 he always delayed his time for rest until 

 the swallows, as well as the cattle, were 

 all under cover. 



I have lived all my life in a farming 

 community and have yet to learn of an- 

 other farmer who has taken such pains 

 to promote the comfort of the birds. 

 M.\RY Ellen Perley. 



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