THE SAVAGE WORLD. 
i43 
the animal is asleep on the bough of a tree, it hangs down in remarkable sim¬ 
ilitude of a snake. The natives, who hunt the animal extensively for food, 
profit by this habit, for by this exhibition of 
the creature’s tail they are most easily discov¬ 
ered. The animal is very susceptible to music, 
a disposition which the natives take advantage 
of, for when approached, if the reptile is on 
the point of retreat, the natives begin to 
whistle briskly, at the sound of which the 
creature stops and remains listening until a 
hair noose can be slipped over its head. With 
a jerk he is then brought to the ground, 
whereupon his anger is manifested by blow¬ 
ing himself up like the frog that tried to rival 
the ox. 
The Common American Iguana is from 
four to five feet long. It is very common in all chameleons. 
the warm parts of America, where it remains 
in the woods, at the environs of rivers and sources of spring water. It passes 
most part of its time on trees, sometimes 
going to the water, and living on fruits, 
grain and leaves. Without being either 
venomous or dangerous, its bite is exceed¬ 
ingly painful; and when it is angry, the 
goitre, which it has under its neck, be¬ 
comes distended and expanded. This rep¬ 
tile has great tenacity and endurance of 
life, and will resist the blows of a stick 
or cudgel very well. Accordingly, it is 
usually hunted with the bow or the gun. 
The females are smaller than the 
IGUANA. 
more 
males, but their colors are much 
brilliant. They lay eggs in the sand, about as large as those of pigeons, but 
a little longer, and of equal thickness at both ends. The shell of these eggs 
is white, even and soft. They are en¬ 
tirely filled by the yolk, and can hardly 
be said to have any albumen. They 
never harden by fire, but only become 
a little pasty. But their flavor is very 
agreeable, and they are constantly eaten 
in Surinam and Guiana. A single fe¬ 
male will lay about six dozen. 
The flesh of the iguana is consid¬ 
ered as delicious, and is in great esti¬ 
mation throughout all the warm parts 
of America. It is white and delicate. 
Many persons, however, consider it as 
unwholesome, especially for those who are infected with syphilis, some symp¬ 
toms of which, such as pains in the bones, etc., it is supposed to aggravate 
