LACKKTILIA 247 



leaves and in tlic sand under bushes. This species lays eggs, though some 

 of its family are vi\ iparous. It hides its eggs under moss and leaves and 

 the young mature very slowly, taking several years to reach maturity. 



The American Chameleon and its Relatives. — Our very interesting lit- 

 tle lizard {An'oUn) (Fig. 202) of Florida and the Carolinas is commonly 

 called a "chameleon," but the real chameleon is a native of Africa. The 

 "green chameleon" {Aiioliti) has the power of suddenly and voluntarily 

 changing its color to adapt itself to its eiu irunmcnt. Experiments upon 

 this animal in our laboratory proved that it changes color more rapidly 

 when placed upon objects with natural colors than it does upon artificially 

 colored ones. It is arboreal and insectivorous. The males have " large 

 gular sacs which can be distended by the hyoid bones." These sacs are 

 white, with occasidna! red lines and spots, but when inflated they become 

 crimson. The Afialis is ."> or 6 inches long. 



Another member of this family is our little Swift, common in the forests 

 and fence corners of the United States as far north as Michigan. It delights 

 to lie basking in the sun, but disappears quickly when disturbed. 



Fig. 203. — The " homed toad" {Phrynoso'maUainvUki} . The spiny cov- 

 ering repels many enemies. (From Jordan and Kellogg, " Animal Life/' 

 D. Appleton and Co., Publishers.) 



Another member is the very interesting little lizard called the "horned 

 toad"! (Fig. 203), Phrynoso'nia, found in the dry regions (jf the Southwest- 

 ern States. The body is oval in form, rather flat and broad, with a short 

 conical tail. It is covered with irregularly shaped keeled or spiny scales, the 

 head Ixnng "bordered ))()steri(ii-ly with osseous spines." The small eyes are 

 each i)rot('cte(l by a ridge running l)ai'kwar(I above them. The ventral side 

 of the author's |)et "iiorned toad," a specimen from southeast Kansas, is 

 yellowish in color, with a number of brown spots dotted over it. The scales 

 are small and regular. The general color of the animal, dorsally, is grayish 

 or yellowish brown, atfoiding, togetliei- witli its irregul.ir and roughened "sur- 

 face, an excellent protect i\c jesemhlaiice to tJie sand in thi" desert regions, 

 in which it likes to sink until the spines of the Inad alone stick out. Thus 

 some species, at any rate, lie concealed through tlie night and on cloudy 

 days. They are livehest in the middle of the day and delight in the hot suii. 

 When alarmed they shut their eyes and lie flat on the sand. Their food 

 is insects, which they catch as toads do with their tongues, which are smooth, 

 short, and scarcely at all notched, and can be thrust out a short distance 



1 Better, "Horned Lizard." It is not a toad (Amphibian, it is a re])tile). 



