528 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



their movements. Alfred Brehm, who received as a present from the 

 African explorer, Schweinfurth, a number of these animals, states that 

 the chameleon never moves at all except from necessity ; it will remain 

 in one position on a branch or twig for hours at a time, firmly grasp- 

 ing with tail and paws the object on which it is perched. The eyes, 

 on the contrary, are nearly always in motion. The chameleons sent 

 to Brehm reached their destination in indifferent condition, the skin 

 dry and flabby, and the animals utterly apathetic. Water having 

 been showered upon them in fine spray, they began to recover, and to 

 lick the drops from one another's backs ; their skin assumed a better 

 color, and soon they were clambering up and down the branches which 

 stood in their cage, and even engaging in combat. In their battles 

 they use their teeth, but without doing serious injury ; and they have 

 a curious way of solemnly lashing one another with their tails. But 

 such activity as this is exceptional in the chameleon : it is to be seen 

 especially in the pairing season. When preying on winged insects, 

 the chameleon is seen occasionally to protrude the knobbed end of his 

 tongue, and in an instant that member is shot forth and again retracted, 

 bearing the prey into the captor's mouth. The extremity of the tongue 

 exudes a sticky substance on which the prey is caught. When flies 

 and other winged insects are not to be had, the chameleon's swivel-eyes 

 scan the trunk of the tree, and the branches above, below, and on all 

 sides around, to see if any creeping thing may be caught. If any such 

 creature is approaching the spot where the chameleon is lying, he waits 

 till it comes within striking distance, and then " discharges " his tongue 

 at it. But, if the creature is traveling away from him, he pursues, 

 though with grave deliberation. If the prey comes very near to his 

 muzzle, the chameleon retreats a little, to increase the distance, and 

 then darts out his tongue. In performing this act, the chameleon dis- 

 plays very great activity ; otherwise, all his movements are the reverse 

 of precipitate. Thus, if he would change from his normal position of 

 absolute quietude his belly resting on an horizontal branch, which he 

 grasps as firmly as he can with all five hands (for his tail is a fifth 

 hand) he first advances one of the fore-paws one step ; then the tail is 

 relaxed, advanced an equal distance, and again coiled tight ; next the 

 other feet are advanced a step, one after another ; and so on. It is 

 not easy to recognize the propriety of the name little lion {chamceelon) 

 given to this reptilian tardigrade by the ancient Greeks. And the 

 animal is as harmless as it is slow of movement, though the ancients 

 supposed that in the dog-days it assumes some of the lion's ferocity. 



The large, projecting eyeballs of the chameleon are capable of a 

 great variety of movements ; and, what is very curious, each of them 

 may, and usually does, act independently of the other. This circum- 

 stance compensates for the fixedness of the head, enabling the animal 

 to direct its glances on all sides, without the necessity of calling into 

 play any muscles save those of the eyeball. Still, when about to strike, 



