REPTILIA — CHAMELEON. C)09 



THE CHAMELEON, 1 



Like the crocodile, this little animal proceeds from an egg; and it also nearly 

 resembles that formidable creature in form. It is found in all the warm 

 countries, both of the old and the new world. 



The head of a large chameleon is almost iavo inches long; and thence to 

 the beginning of the tail, four and a half; the tail is five inches long, and 

 the feet two and a half; the thickness of the body is different at different 

 times; for sometimes, from the back to the belly it is two inches, and 

 sometimes but one ; for it can blow itself up, and contract itself at pleasure. 

 This swelling and contraction is not only of the back and belly, but of the 

 legs and tail. 



The chameleon has the power of driving the air it breathes, over every 

 part of the body ; however, it only gets between the skin and the muscles ; 

 for the muscles themselves are never swollen. The skin is very cold to the 

 touch ; and though the animal seems so lean, there is no feeling the beating 

 of the heart. The surface of the skin is unequal, and has a grain not unlike 

 shagreen, but very soft, because each eminence is as smooth as if it were 

 polished. The color of all these eminences, when the chameleon is at resj 

 in a shady place, is of a bluish gray ; and the space between is of a pale red 

 and yellow. 



But when the animal is removed into the sun, then comes the wonderful pait 

 of its history. At first, it appears to suffer no change of color, its grayish 

 spots still continuing the same ; but the whole surface soon seems to imbibe 

 the rays of light ; and the simple coloring of the body changes into a variety 

 of beautiful hues. Wherever the light comes upon the body, it is of a tawny 

 brown ; but that part of the skin on which the sun does not shine, changes 



1 The genus Chameleon has the hody shagreened with small scaly granules, compressed, 

 •ind the back edged: tail round and prehensile ; five toes on all the feet, but divided 'iito 

 two sets, the one 01 three toes, the other of two. each united by a membrane to the nails; 

 tongue fleshy, cylindrical, and extremely extensible; teeth tri-lobed ; eyes laryt, but 

 almost covered by skin, and with separate movements ; no external ear ; occiput pyramidal ; 

 lungs very large. 



