i69 OVIPAROUS , QUADRUPEDS. 



there is no feeling the beating of the heart. The fkin is ftrewed with little 

 rifings, and has a grain not unlike fliagreen, but very foft, becaufe each 

 eminence is as fmooth as if it were polifhed. Soirre of thefe little pro- 

 tuberances are as large as a pin's head, on the arms, lcgs,1:>elly, and tail; 

 but on the fhoulders and head they are of an oval tigure, and a little 

 larger; thofe under the throat are ranged in the form of a chaplet, from 

 the lower lip to the breaft. The colour of all ihefe eminences, when the 

 cameleon is at reft in a (hady place, is of a blueilh grey, and the fpacc 

 between is of a pale red and yellow. 



But when the animal is removed into the fun, the whole furface of 

 the fkin foon feems to imbibe the rays of light; and its fimple colour- 

 ing changes into a variety of beautiful hues. Wherever the light comes 

 on the body it is of a tawny brown; but that part of the Ikin on which 

 the fun does not fhine changes into fevera) brighter colours, pale yel- 

 low, or vivid crimfon, which form fpots of the fize of half one's finger: 

 fome of thefe defcend from the fpine half way down the back; and 

 others appear on the fides, arms and tail. When the fun is withdrawn, 

 or in the fhade, the original grey colour returns by degrees, and covers 

 all the body. Sometimes the animal becomes all over fpotted with 

 brown fpots of a greeniih caft. When it is wrapped up in a white linen 

 cloth for two cr three minutes, the natural colour becomes much lighter; 

 but not quite white, as fome authors have pretended. The caufe of thefe 

 fpots is by fome thought to beiear, or hear, agitating its humours j for in 

 the cold they are lefs vivid, and when dead very pale : others think the 

 animal fubjed to a kind of jaundice, and thefe are effe(5ted by its bile. 



Le Bruyn, during his ftay at Smyrna, bought feveral, and kept four in 

 a cage, permitting them at times to run about the houfe. The frefh fea- 

 breeze fcemed to give them moft fpitits and vivacity ; they opened their 

 mouths to take it in ; he never perceived that they eat any thing, ex- 

 cept now and then a fly, which they took half an hour to fwallow; he ob- 

 ferved their colour often to change, three or four times fucceffively, with- 

 out being able to find out any caufe for fuch alterations; their common 

 colour he found to be grey, or rather a pale moufe-colour ; but its moft 

 frequent changes were into a beautiful green, fpotted wiih yellow: fome- 

 times the animal was marked over with dark brown; and this often 

 changed into a lighter brown. Some colours, however, it never aflumes; 

 t>ut moftly affed§ thofe neceflary to its prefervation j fuch as the 



green 



