CHAMELEON. REPTILES. 351 



cles ; tail smooth and flattened longitudinally, like a cordiform 

 leaf. 4 to 6 inches long. New Holland. Shaiv, iii. 247- 



FAMILY V.- 

 Gen. 23. CHAMELEON, Cuv. 



Body shagreened with small scaly granules, compressed, and 

 the back edged ; tail round and prehensile ; five toes on all the 

 feet, but divided into two sets; the one of three toes, the other 

 of two, each united by a membrane to the nails ; tongue 

 fleshy, cylindrical, and extremely extensible ; teeth trilobed ; 

 eyes large, but almost covered by skin, and with separate 

 movements ; no external ear ; occiput pyramidal ; lungs very 

 large. 



The Chameleons have long been known for their property of changing colour. The 

 great size of their lungs is, according to Cuvier, the cause of this property ; not as 

 was formerly believed according to the body upon which they were placed, but ac- 

 cording to their wants and passions. When the lungs are inflated their body seems 

 transparent, which occasioned the ancients to fancy that they fed on air. Chameleons 

 inhabit trees, and feed on insects, which they take with the glutinous extremity of 

 their tongue. They are very sluggish and inactive animals. The species of this 

 genus have been accurately described by Mr Gray in the Philosophical Magazine, 

 Vol. ii. p. 209. 



C. vulgaris, Daud. Common Chameleon. Head keeled over the 

 eyes ; occiput crested ; crest reaching to the middle space between 

 the eyes ; scales small, uniform ; dorsal and medial ventral line 

 from the chin to the vent larger, naked ; ventral line white. 

 22 inches long. Africa and India. Phil. Mag. ii. 209. 



C. pumilus, Laur. Eyebrows crested; occiput keeled; scales 

 square, with scattered ovate shields on each side of the back ; 

 head tubercular, with two oval smooth places on each side ; back 

 part of the tail and chin denticulated. 5 inches long. Inhabits 

 Cape of Good Hope Phil. Mag. ii. 211. 



C. Senegalensis, Daud. Eyebrows crested, denticulated ; occiput 

 flat, rather convex behind, not denticulated, bony ; scales small, 

 uniform, granular, those of the head rather larger and ovate ; 

 back of the neck, throat, and belly denticulated. 8 inches long. 

 Phil. Mag. ii. 212. 



C. bifurcus, Brong. Eyebrows arched ; occiput lunate, obliquely 

 crested ; face between the front of the eyes and tip of the nose 

 extended into two lanceolate lobes ; scales flat, quadrangular, 

 those of the head larger, hexangular ; occipital crest and back of 

 the neck denticulated. 10 inches long -Phil. Mag. ii. 212. 



C. Parsonii, Cuv. Eyebrows arched ; occiput obliquely expanded 

 over the back of the neck ; front of the head over the nostrils 

 expandedinto two short, compressed, serrated lobes ; scales of the 

 head large and hexangular, those of the body small and quadrangu- 

 lar, separated into ovate groups. 12 inches long. Phil. Mag.ii.213. 



C. tigris, Cuv. MS. Body slender, dull reddish, sprinkled with 



