114 



LEAVES FROM THE NOTE-BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 



head ; and ordinarily the one a contrary or quite 

 different way from the other." 



But (as another old writer observes) what is 

 most extraordinary in this motion is to see one of 

 the eyes move whilst the other remains immovable ; 

 and the one to turn forward, at the same time that 

 the other looketh behind ; the one to look up to the 

 sky, when the other is fixed on the ground. And 

 these motions to be so extreme, that they do carry 

 the pupilla under the crest which makes the eye- 

 brow, and so far into the canthi, or corners of the 

 yes, that the sight can discern whatever is done 

 just behind it, and directly before, without turning 

 the head, which is fastened to the shoulders. 



The vermiform tongue of the woodpecker is 

 known to most who have shot one, and the same 

 organ is the principal agent by which the chame- 

 leon takes its prey. Like that of the woodpecker, 

 the tongue of the chameleon can be protruded to a 

 considerable length. In the reptile, this organ is 

 projected in a cylindrical and apparently erectile 

 state from the sheath at the lower part of the 

 mouth, where it remains when at rest, to the 

 length of half-a-foot, and returns with a fly or 

 other insect adhering to its glutinous tip, when 

 the prey is secured within the teeth, which have 

 no true roots, their trilobated crowns appearing 

 to be soldered upon the edge of the upper part of 

 a groove hollowed in the maxillary bone, and 

 looking like an enamelled and denticulated finish 

 to that edge. 



I have frequently seen chameleons take their 

 food, although I never could succeed in inducing 

 my own to break its fast. When one of them is 

 about to feed, it rolls its shagreen eyeball till the 

 pupil is brought to bear upon the intended victim. 

 Motionless and patient, the reptile waits till the 

 insect arrives within distance. Then the exten- 

 sile tongue is protruded with unfailing aim pre- 

 cisely to the extent required, and is retracted with 

 the prey. I have seen them take mealworms 

 frequently. When two mealworms were placed 

 before a chameleon, one on one side and one on 

 the other, at different distances, the eye of each 

 side was levelled at the adjacent insect; and 

 though the eyes were necessarily looking in dif- 

 ferent directions, the tongue did its duty upon both 

 one after the other, when they came within reach 

 The motion of extension and retraction was no 

 very rapid, but it must be remembered that those 

 seen by me were in confinement in this country. 



So extraordinary a shape was not likely to be 

 passed over by the ancients without attributes as 

 odd as the animal itself ; and Democritus seems to 

 have revelled in the marvellous qualities possessec 

 by its several parts. Thus, we are told that thii 

 remarkable tongue, ' ; pulled out of the head whiles 

 the chamaeleon is quicke, promiseth good successe 

 in judicial! trials" in compliment, doubtless, tc 

 the lawyers, who 



Can with ease 

 Change words and meanings as they please, 



but are as unerring as the chameleon's organ ir 

 securing the substantial part of the litigation. 



There is not a creature in the world thought 

 more fearefull than it ; which is the reason of that 

 mutability whereby it turneth into such varietie of 

 olors ; howbeit of exceeding great power against 

 ill the sortes of hawkes or birds of prey ; for, by 

 eport, let them fly and soar never so high over the 

 hamaeleon, there is an attractive vertue that will 

 etch them downe, so as they shall fall upon the 

 hamaeleon, and yeeld themselves willingly as a 

 srey to be torne, mangled, and devoured by other 

 beasts. 



Pliny, who quotes the Greek, goes on to in- 

 brm us that the same Democritus 



Telleth us a tale, that if one burne the head and 

 hroat of the chamaeleon in a fire made of oken 

 wood, there will immediately arise tempests of 

 rainy stormes and thunder together ; and the liver 

 will do as much (saith he) if it burne upon the tiles 

 of an house. As for all the other vertues which 

 he said author ascribe th to the chamaeleon, be- 

 :ause they smell of witchcraft, and I hold them 

 meere lies, I will overpasse them all, unlesse they 

 >e some few for which he deserveth well to be 

 aughed at, and would indeed be reproved by no 

 other means better. 



And yet the critic, in his eighth book, gravely 

 nforms us, that " the raven, when he hath killed 

 the chamseleon, and yet perceiving that he is hurt 

 and poisoned by him, flieth for remedy to the 

 iaurell, and with it represseth and extinguishetn 

 the venom that he is infected withal 1." Others 

 relate that if a crow tasted the flesh of the reptile 

 tie was a gone crow. 



Nevertheless, it is recorded that the inhabitants 

 of Cochin China find them good meat by a pro- 

 cess of cookery, however, somewhat similar to 

 that directed by Mizald, when he instructs his 

 scholars " how to roast and eat a goose alive," 

 and, after dwelling upon every particular of the 

 diabolical process, winds up by declaring that " it 

 is mighty pleasant to behold!" The hapless 

 chameleons were brought, we are told, to the 

 Cochin Chinese market tied together in a string. 

 The purchasers took them home, made a fine clear 

 fire, unbound their chameleons, and then put them 

 into the burning fiery furnace, where they at first 

 endeavored to walk on the glowing coals, but 

 overcome with agony fell down, were well broiled, 

 taken out, their skins pulled off, and their caro 

 candidissima minced fine, stewed in butter, and 

 served up ; idque epularum genus apud ipsos in 

 lautissimis amis commendatur. Ude was but a 

 plagiarist in the matter of eels, after all. 



It may be worth knowing in these days of 

 semi-Thuggism, which throw those of the Mo- 

 hocks into the shade, that " the right forefoot of 

 a chamaeleon hanged fast to the left arm within the 

 skin of a hyaena, is singular against the perils 

 and dangers by thieves and robbers ; as also to 

 skar away hobgoblins and night spirits. In like 

 manner, whosoever carry about them the right pap 

 of this beast, may bee assured against al fright and 

 feare." Talk of fernseed for invisibility Democ- 

 ritus will tell you that " the left foote they use to 

 torrifie in an oven with the herb called also cha- 



