35 
most convenient. This introduced frequent altercations 
between the owners, respecting the property of the eggs, 
each of them pretending to discover, by infallible marks, the 
produce of his own fowls. "The scene of these disputes was 
usually at my door, which was regarded as a sort of neutral 
ground; and as their arguments were usually long and loud, 
my situation, as a listener and often a referree, was rather an 
unpleasant one. Hints or entreaties, on my part, could never 
prevail on them to move an inch from my threshold, and the 
subject was becoming every day more harassing when my 
good genius, in the shape of a Ratel, came and took up its 
residence in our neighbourhood. In the course of one night, 
this destructive vermin put an end to all disputes, by cutting 
the throats of all the fowls, to the number of two dozen and 
a half, most of which were found next morning weltering in 
their blood. It carried off two or three to its burrow, to 
which we traced it by means of their feathers, and after a 
great deal of labour, succeeded in destroying it. 
“The Ratel is also exceedingly fond of honey, and securely 
plunders the hive, whilst the bees exhaust their fury on its 
impenetrable hide. It is, of all animals, perhaps, the most 
tenacious of life; the skin being so thick and so loosely 
attached to the carcase, that it is proof against every species 
of violence. 
s The Chameleon of the Cape is about six inches long. Un- 
like the rest of the Lizard tribe, which are generally flat, its 
body forms a sharp ridge, serrated along the back. The skin is 
rough, or rather studded, like shagreen. The toes are in 
two divisions: the external division of the fore feet, corres- 
ponding to the fingers of the human hand, consists of three 
toes, connected by a membrane as far as the claws; the inner 
division, answering to the thumb, consists of two, connected 
in a similar manner. In the hinder feet, the division of the 
toes is reversed; the outer consisting of two, the inner of 
three. 'The toes, thus connected, acting in the manner of 
forceps, serve admirably to grasp the minute branches, among 
which the reptile lurks for its prey. I had several chameleons 
for months in my room, and often amused myself in giving 
D2 
