1883]: — \On the Habits of the American Chameleon. 925 
of the insect was in his mouth, while the wings were violently 
flapping at the side of the lizard's face. The reptile would clinch 
his jaws together spasmodically two or three times, shutting his 
eyes with a very tight squeeze each time he did so. At last his 
prey was silent, when with a few energetic kicks he tore off the 
creature’s wings, and disposed of his body sans cérémonie. 
Anolis principalis no doubt renders, by its constant destruction 
of those insects which infest the trees of our Southern cities, a great 
service, and that, too, in a very modest and unassuming way, 
In this respect how much better they are than that miserable and 
noisy little foreigner, the so-called English sparrow, that we have 
taken so much pains to introduce and foster; a bird now found 
in'every city of our Union, from Boston to New Orleans, in 
alarming numbers; I:say alarming, because I know, full well, as 
every ornithologist in the land knows, that the day is sure to 
come when we shall have seen enough of his dappled brown coat, 
so constantly and impertinently intruded upon us, at the expense 
of our own avian favorites, and we shall learn to regard him, per- 
haps only when it is too > late, as one of the agricultural pests of 
the United States. 
- The ‘season approaches when Louisiana, recovering from the 
‘temporary shock caused by her mock winter, again puts forth the 
Matural jewels of her animal and vegetable kingdoms, again, pre- 
sents us with fresh flowers and fresh fields, after so short a relapse. 
Birds once more stream northward, mammals throw off their semi- 
torpidity and resume their usual avocations. In the overflown 
bayous, rendered almost. unendurable by an atmosphere charged 
with all the aromatic odors of a budding Southern spring, we at 
‘this time, too, see the gaudy representatives of the reptilian 
‘world gradually make their several appearances, Frogs croak, 
Hylas peep, and in some sunny nook the deadly moccasin warms 
his snuff-brown ‘coils, alone, dreaded and shunned. All rejoice 
that-this happy season once more opens, andthe feeble grasp of 
the winter god is withdrawn. Where is Anolis now? we have 
“Rot far to. go,,indeed, to find our bi-colored masquerader ; see 
-the emerald-clad scamp, as he eyes you from the brawny limb of 
-the pecan, under which you stand. But what.is he upto! You 
quietly watch him, and ‘his employment seems to be of such a 
_ Mature that he soon completely ignores you, and proceeds with it 
_ atall risks, and at all costs., The mystery is soon solved, and we 
