NATURAL HISTORY. 



493 



ways of the same colour as the 

 body ; whereas a row of sirailar 

 projections beneath, continue per- 

 fectly white, notwithstanding any 

 metamorphosis of the animal. 



The general colour of thechame- 

 lion so long in my possession, was 

 a pleasant green, spotted with pale 

 blue: from this it changed to a 

 bright yellow, dark olive, and a 

 dull green : but never appeared to 

 such advantage as when irritated, 

 or a dog approached it : the body 

 was then considerably inflated, and 

 the skin clouded like tortoise-shell, 

 in shades of yellow, orange, green, 

 and black. A black object always 

 caused an almost instantaneous 

 transformation ; the room appro- 

 priated for its accommodation was 

 skirted by a board painted black, 

 this the chamelion carefully avoid- 

 ed ; but if he accidentally drew 

 near it, or we placed a black hat 

 in his way, he was reduced to a 

 hideous skeleton, and from the 

 most lively tints became black as 

 jet; on removing the cause, the 

 effect as suddenly ceased; the sa- 

 ble hue was succeeded by a bril- 

 liant colouring, and the body was 

 again inflated. 



ALLIGATORS. 



From ike same. 



The eastern districts of Traven- 

 core, intersected by lakes and ri- 

 vers, abound with amphibious ani- 

 mals, especially alligators and seals. 

 There seems to be no essential dif- 

 ference between the alligator of In- 

 dia, and the Egyptian crocodile; 

 lacerta alligator, and laccrtus cro- 

 codilus. Naturalists seem lo con- 

 fine the alligator to South America, 



the crocodile to Asia and Africa ; 

 but in India the lacerta crocodilus, 

 generally called the alligator, is 

 from five to twenty feet long, 

 shaped like the genus to which he 

 belongs : the back is covered with 

 impenetrable scales; the legs short, 

 with five spreading toes on the 

 fore-feet, and four in a straight line 

 on the hinder, armed with claws : 

 the alligator moves slowly, its 

 whole formation being calculated 

 for strength, the back-bone firmly 

 jointed, and the tail a most formi- 

 dable weapon : in the river he ea- 

 gerly springs on the wretch unfor- 

 tunately bathing within his reach, 

 and either knocks him down with 

 his tail or opens a wide mouth for 

 his destruction, armed with nume- 

 rous sharp teeth of various length; 

 by which, like the shark, he some- 

 times severs the human body at a 

 single bite : the annals of the Nile 

 and Ganges, although wonderful, 

 are not fabulous. The upper jaw 

 only of the alligator was thought 

 to be moveable ; that is now com- 

 pletely disproved : the eyes are of 

 a dull green, with a brilliant pupil, 

 covered by a transparent pellicle, 

 moveable as in birds; from the 

 heads of those of large size, musk 

 is frequently extracted. 



ELEPHANTS. 



From the same. 



The largest elephants are from 

 ten to eleven feet in height, some 

 are said to exceed it ; the average 

 is eight or nine feet. They are 

 fifty or sixty years before they ar- 

 rive at their full growth ; the fe- 

 male goes with young eighteeo 

 months, and seldom produces more 

 than one at a birth, jwhich she 

 suckles until it is five years old ; 



