CHANGES OF CHAMELEON 



their tails like many other lizards, and like crocodiles. 

 At the Zoo, like most other lizards they slumber much, 

 and do not suggest any great activity either of mind or 

 body. But they are big and impressive in appearance. 



THE CHAMJELEON 



The " reptilian vicar of Bray," as the late Mr. Grant 

 Allen termed this lizard, has got an unjust reputation 

 for capacity of colour change, mainly due to a well-known 

 ballad, where these changes lead to misunderstanding 

 on the part of some who have not been present to witness 

 the whole series. As a matter of fact the chamaeleon 

 does change its colour, and incidentally and at the same 

 time, unlike the leopard, its spots. But these changes are 

 not precisely what they are in popular imagination, 

 which will accordingly be disappointed when the Cha- 

 maeleons at the Zoo can begot to " perform." Popular 

 imagination in this, as in other matters, has raced well 

 ahead of the facts, and has assigned to the chamaeleon 

 the entire chromatic scale. Its actual performance falls 

 far short of this, and is limited to greens, yellows, browns, 

 greys, and almost blacks. Some colours are beyond 

 their powers. Nor can they entirely blanch or blacken. 

 The faculty of colour change, though characteristic 

 enough of these singular lizards, is by no means confined 

 to them ; it is a common attribute of many lizards, some 

 of which even excel the chamaeleon in their variety and 

 rapidity of change. The chamaeleon, however, is a 

 fairly quick change artist. Apparently rage is the most 

 potent factor in inducing alterations, and a chamaeleon, 

 when pinched gently, becomes spotty with wrath. Sun- 

 shine blackens them, and death leaves them black or 

 pale straw colour. In fact, anger, heat, cold, and death, 

 would seem to be the main factors in turning their coats. 

 That chamaeleons are lizards is probably known to most, 

 but in almost every feature they differ from the more 



Z.G. 241 R 



