35 



most convenient. This introduced frequent altercations 

 between the owners, respecting the property of the eggs, 

 each of them pretending to discover, by infallible marks, the 

 produce of his own fowls. The scene of these disputes was 

 usually at my door, which was regarded as a sort of neutral 

 ground ; and as their arguments were usually long and loud, 

 my situation, as a listener and often a referree, was rather an 

 unpleasant one. Hints or entreaties, on my part, could never 

 prevail on them to move an inch from my threshold, and the 

 subject was becoming every day more harassing, when my 

 good genius, in the shape of a Ratel, came and took up its 

 residence in our neighbourhood. In the course of one night, 

 this destructive vermin put an end to all disputes, by cutting 

 the throats of all the fowls, to the number of two dozen and 

 a half, most of which were found next morning weltering in 

 their blood. It carried off two or three to its burrow, to 

 which we traced it by means of their feathers, and after a 

 great deal of laboui', succeeded in destroying it. 



" The Ratel is also exceedingly fond of honey, and securely 

 plunders the hive, whilst the bees exhaust their fury on its 

 impenetrable hide. It is, of all animals, perhaps, the most 

 tenacious of life; the skin being so thick and so loosely 

 attached to the carcase, that it is proof against every species 

 of violence. 



"The Chameleon of the Cape is about six inches long. Un- 

 like the rest of the Lizard tribe, which are generally flat, its 

 body forms a sharp ridge, serrated along the back. The skin is 

 rough, or rather studded, like shagreen. The toes are in 

 two divisions : the external division of the fore feet, corres- 

 ponding to the fingers of the human hand, consists of three 

 toes, connected by a membrane as far as the claws; the inner 

 division, answering to the thumb, consists of two, connected 

 in a similar manner. In the hinder feet, the division of the 

 toes is reversed ; the outer consisting of two, the inner of 

 three. The toes, thus connected, acting in the manner of 

 forceps, serve admirably to grasp the minute branches, among 

 which the reptile lurks for its prey. I had several chameleons 

 for months in my room, and often amused myself in giving 



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