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TH.E NATURA 



H I 



TOR 



LACERTA 8. Minima fubfufi 



The fmall Houfe-Lizard 



This creature is very common about all the hcufes in the ifland : it feldom 



ceeds three inches in length, but is 



f fo del 



(hap 



It climbs the furface of the fmootheft slafs with eafe, and 



the foregoing 

 much upon flies 



but it is not fo apt to change its colour as the other fo 



. It is obierved that, in al 

 be cut off, it {hoots a-new 

 figure. 



thefe fp 



efpecially the fmaller forts, if the 



fome time, and ofte 



the natural fiz 



;ld 





LACERTA 9. Minor nigra maculis albisvariegata^X The black Lizard with 



da longiori & 

 This fpecies is generally about ten inch 





be 



& 



white lp 



4 



th, of a delicate flen 



der make in proportion, and very beautifully fpotted. I had one of them from 

 coaft of Guinea. 





CHAM/ELEON 1. Major cinereus, caudd in ) 



Jpiram involutd, pedibus 



pentadaSiylis unguicula-f The large grey Chameleon. 



, thy digit i s duobus tribuj--^ 

 quecoadnatis & oppojitis. 





I have taken the liberty of defcribing this creature alfo under its ancient appella 



tkm, having feparated it from the lizard kind on account of the peculiar form of 

 the head, and diipofition of the toes; which, with lome other remarkable parti- 

 cularities both in its mechanifm and genus, diftinguifh it fufliciently from the reft 



of the tribe. 



The head is large and boney in all the fpecies cf this genus ; the fockets 

 of the eyes very deep; the jaws befet with teeth; and the bone that covers 



forehead ftretches a good way back over the neck and fhoulders. The 



the 



bo 



is moderately large, and thicker than moft of the lizard kind 



in pro- 

 portion to the length. The tail winds downwards in a fpiral form ; and 



the toes are difpofed like thofe of parrots, in two cppofite bundles, which 

 enables it to hold itfelf very fleddily on the fmaller branches of trees, where it 

 chiefly keeps. 



This fpecies is a native of Africa, and was brought to Jamaica from the coaft of 

 Guinea. It is extremely flow in its motion, though it chiefly fupplies itfelf with 



food from the rnoft nimble tribe of infects (tf) ; but whatever nature has denied it in 

 agility, feems to be abundantly fupplied in mechanifm ; for its flow and eafy 

 motion renders it but little fufpedted at a diftance; and when it comes within a 

 certain fpace of the object, it Oretches out its tail, poizes its body, and fixes it- 

 felf fo as to meet but feldom with a difappointment in its attack : when all is 

 ready, it uncoils i<s long, flender, mufcular tongue, and darts it, as it were, with 

 fuch unconceivable fwiftnefs that it hardly ever fails of its prey. But though the 



prevent any fufpicion in thofe 



flownefs of its motion alone would natural!" 



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agile little bodies, while it keeps at a diftance,' it adds another piece of me 

 chanifm to the former, and changes its colour conftandy with its ftation, putting 



and complexion with every fprig or branch, &c. on which 



on the 



lame hue 



it fixes itfelf. 



(a) Flics. 







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SECT 



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