2 14 SUNSHINE AND SPORT IN 



need not have felt anxious. That night, and seven 

 nights more, no rain fell, and I shall henceforth 

 rank this ingenious but misinformed reptile with 

 the newspaper weather prophets. The other lizard, 

 which was to be seen in the verandahs of the 

 Moneague Hotel, displayed a curious little crimson 

 swelling at the throat suggestive of the bursting of 

 a small blood-vessel. Perceiving that this was 

 exhibited by volition, I at first set it down as an 

 expression of fear or anger. Then I took note 

 that this singular badge was not always worn on 

 my near approach, so I sought some other explana- 

 tion. Might it perchance be a secondary sexual 

 character, a red necktie worn by the male to attract 

 the female ? This comparison with the weaknesses 

 of my own kind was in its turn rejected when 

 I found that all the lizards of that species wore 

 the red necktie, and these would hardly be all 

 males. Finally, though without any evidence, I 

 decided that it might be a bait for flies, which, 

 mistaking it for a red blossom, of which there are 

 many in that flowery district, would perhaps alight 

 for an instant, only to be snatched up by the owner's 

 lightning tongue. In all probability, each of my 

 theories is wrong : in any case, one only can be 

 right ; but half the pleasure of watching wild 

 creatures would be lost if we were debarred from 

 such harmless hypotheses. 



The turtles exported from Jamaica to England 

 are for the most part caught on the Mosquito Coast 

 and among the Cayman Islands. The fishermen 

 are very skilful in locating their movements under 

 water of considerable depth with the aid of a 

 water-telescope and in capturing them in a kind of 



