'^0 SAURIA. CHAM^LEONID^. 



some Serpents, but by actual alteration of tint, 

 at the will of the animal. Most of them throw 

 off the cuticle, at periodical intervals, which retains 

 the form of every scale and plate, impressed con- 

 yexly on the outer surface, and concavely on the 

 inner. After the sloughing, the new surface is 

 more brilliant than the old. The swift and bright- 

 eyed little Lizards darting and leaping every- 

 where, in tropical countries, form an attractive 

 feature of the scene, and are not regarded with 

 the fear and disgust with which reptiles are fool- 

 ishly regarded too often with us. Moore alludes 

 to the beauty of these little creatures, — 



" Gay Lizards glittering on the walls 

 Of ruin'd shrines, busy and bright, 

 As they were all alive with light." 



The Families of the Smiria have been greatly 

 multiplied by some zoologists : we shall prefer to 

 consider them as seven in number; Chamceleo- 

 nidc&, Geckotidce, Iguanadce, Agamadce, Varanidce, 

 Lacertadce, and ScincidcE. 



Family I. Cham^eleonid^. 



{Chameleons.) 



This small but compact and well-defined Family 

 is not only the most anomalous among Reptiles, 

 but perhaps even amongst the whole range of 

 Vertebrate animals. They are distinguished at 

 once by the character of their feet, which is strictly 

 Scansorial, and recalls the form which those organs 

 assume in the Monkeys among Mammalia, and in 

 the Parrots and Woodpeckers among Birds. The 



