74 
The Nahiralist in La Plata. 
mended in consequence, reminding one of veiy 
ancient words : “ Happy shall he be that taketh thy 
little ones and dasheth them ao^ainst the stones.’’ 
In arraying such a variety of enemies against the 
snake, nature has made ample amends for having 
endowed it with deadly weapons. Besides, the 
|)ower possessed by venomous snakes only seems 
to us disproportionate ; it is not really so, except in 
occasional individual encounters. Yenomous snakes 
are always greatly outnumbered by non- venomous 
ones in the same district ; at any rate this is the 
case on the pampas. The greater activity of the 
latter counts for more in the result than the deadly 
weapons of the former. 
The large teguexin lizard of the pampas, called 
iguana by the country people, is a notable snake- 
killer. Snakes have, in fact, no more formidable enemy, 
for he is quick to see, and swift to overtake them. 
He is practically invulnerable, and deals them sudden 
death with his powerful tail. The gauchos say that 
dogs attacking the iguana are sometimes known to 
have their legs broken, and I do not doubt it. A 
friend of mine was out riding one day after his 
cattle, and having attached one end of his lasso to 
the saddle, he let it trail on the ground. He noticed 
a large iguana lying apparently asleep in the sun, 
and though he rode by it very closely, it did not 
stir ; but no sooner had he passed it, than it raised 
its head, and fixed its attention on the forty feet of 
lasso slowly trailing by. Suddenly it rushed after 
the rope, and dealt it a succession of violent blows 
with its tail. When the wdiole of the lasso, several 
yards of which had been pounded in vain, had been 
