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same moment to catch a fly placed nearly midway between them, 

 their tongues struck against each other, and held them connected for 

 a short time. 



It has been observed by naturalists, that the chameleon requires 

 hours to accomplish the eating of a fly, but from having seen each 

 of those in my possession swallow six or eight within the space of 

 one hour, I can so far testify that the observation is incorrect. 



To understand the motions of the chameleon's tongue it is neces- 

 sary to possess a clear knowledge of all its parts ; I shall therefore 

 give, first, the anatomy of the os hyoides and muscles, and secondly, 

 that of the moveable portion of the organ. 



The OS hyoides is unconnected with the larynx. It consists of a 

 body and four cornua, two of which are anterior, and two posterior. 

 (^Plate, fig. 1st.) The body is prolonged forwards into a process 

 named the style (A), whicli is rounded and smooth, and about an 

 inch and a half in length, and whose point, when the mouth is 

 closed, rests against the back part of the chin. The anterior cornua 

 (BB) are about three quarters of an inch long : their outer extre- 

 mities, which are cartilaginous and pointed, are directed obliquely 

 forwards. Their inner extremities are articulated with the body of 

 the bone, and a small plate of cartilage stands out from eacii, which 

 serves as a puUy for one of the muscles of the tongue, the hyo- 

 glossus. The posterior cornua (CC) are about the same length, and 

 slightly curved upwards. One end of each is attached to the 

 body by a moveable joint, the other passes round towards the back 

 of the occiput. 



The muscles are nine in number on each side. Three connect 

 the OS hyoides to the thorax, the sterno-hyoid, the sterno-ceratoid, 

 and the omo-hyoid. Five extend from the os hyoides to the lower 

 jaw, viz. the mylo-hyoid, genio-hyoid,, together with three which 



