120 REPTILES AND BIRDS. 
his “‘ Naturalist’s Sojourn” in that beautiful island. “ The stranger,” 
he remarks, ‘‘ walks into the dwelling house. Lizards, still lizards, 
meet his eye. The little Anoles (4. zodurus, A. opalinus, &c.) are 
chasing each other in and out between the jalousies, now stopping to 
protrude from the throat a broad disc of brilliant colour, crimson or 
orange, like the petal of a flower, then withdrawing it, and again dis- 
playing it in coquettish sport. Then one leaps a yard or two through 
the air and alights on the back of his playfellow ; and both struggle 
and twist about in unimaginable contortions. Another is running up 
and down on the plastered wall, catching the ants as they roam in 
black lines over its whitened surface ; and another leaps from the top 
of some piece of furniture upon the back of the visitor’s chair, and 
scampers nimbly along the collar of his coat. It jumps on the table ; 
—can it be the same? An instant ago it was of the most beautiful 
golden green, except the base of the tail, which was of a soft light 
purple hue; now, as if changed by an enchanter’s wand, it is. of a 
dull sooty ‘brown. all over, ‘and becomes momentarily darker and 
darker, or mottled with dark and pale patches of a most unpleasing 
aspect. Presently, however, the mental emotion, whatever it was— 
anger, or fear, or dislike—has passed aw ay, and the lov ely green hue 
sparkles in the glancing sunlight as before.” 
The green colour of certain of these Anoles so closely resembles 
that of foliage, that they are apt to be overlooked. Thus, Mr. Gosse 
was about to throw a net over a butterfly, when, as he remarks, “‘on 
a slight rustle among the leaves, I observed that it was fluttering as if 
unable to get away. My impression was that an invisible spider’s- 
web was holding it ; but, looking closer, I found that a little green 
Anolis had the butterfly i in its mouth. Its colour was so exactly that 
of the verdant leaves of the bush, that I had not perceived it before, 
although my eyes were fixed on the spot. I have also observed the 
same Species feeding on ants. Ona gateway a number of scattered 
ants of a small kind were running to and fro, as they very frequently 
are seen to do; a beautiful male Anolis had stationed himself on 
the post perpendicularly, with the head downwards, and as the ants 
one by one came near him he snapped them up. Each capture was 
the work of an instant ; he touched the post with his muzzle, and the 
ant was gone: they were evidently seized with the lips, not with the 
tongue. ‘These little creatures are as playful as they are pretty. As 
they creep about they often catch sight of another of the same 
species ; immediately one suddenly raises and depresses the headand 
fore-parts, flirts the tail from side to side, and extends the goitre by 
means of the elastic arched bone in front, till its tip reaches nearly as 
