264 REPTILES. 



Tribe V. Dendrosaura. 



Scales of the belly, sides and back granular, in circular bands. 

 Tongue elongate, subcylindrical, wormlike, very extensile, rather 

 enlarged at the end. Eyes globular, very mobile, covered with a 

 circular lid, pierced with a small central hole. Body compressed. 

 Toes 5-5, formed into 2 grasping opposable groups. Ears hidden 

 under the skin. Old World. 



Fam. XXI. The Chameleons, (Chameleonid^). 



Living on trees, supporting themselves by their feet and pre- 

 hensile tail : moving slowly, with regularity and affected gravity. 

 Eating living insects and larvse, which they procure by the very 

 rapid ejection of their elongated tongue, which is viscid at the tip, 

 and as quickly withdrawn. The eggs, which are placed on the 

 ground, under leaves, are round, the shell calcareous, white, spot- 

 less, very porous. The males are distinguished by the thickness 

 of the base of the tail. 



They inhabit Africa and Asia, and are naturalized in South- 

 ern Europe. 



1. Chameleo. Chameleo, Laur. 

 The only genus. 



* Back with an erect Jin. Belly crested. 



The Fringed Chameleon. Chameleo cristatus, Stuck. Tr. 

 Linn. Soc. xvii, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1838, 63. 



Occiput flattened, elevated, acute behind, edged with acute 

 tubercles, especially on the tip ; back and base of tail with a high 

 crest, supported by bony rays ; throat simple ; belly with a denti- 

 culated crest ; scales small, granular, with some scattered larger 

 grains, and a series of larger round convex scales on each side of 

 the back. 



a. Adult, in spirits. Fernando Po. 



** Back high, compressed. Belly and sides with a toothed crest. 



The Side- CRESTED Chameleon. Chameleo latemlis. Gray, 

 Griffith, A. K. ix. 53. Dum. et Bib. E. G. iii. 220. 



Occiput convex, with an arched central keel and a short keel 

 on each side ; face-ridge angular; back compressed, high, with a 

 slightly denticulated crest of rather larger conical scales on each 

 side ; throat and belly with a denticulated crest ; the scales small, 

 equal, very convex, with scattered larger scales ; grey, with a 

 white band on each side. 



a, h. In spirits. Madagascar. Presented by J. E. Gray, Esq. 



