LIZAkbS. 



43 



he is within six inches of his prey. Then he stops, and there 

 is a working in his swollen throat; he is gumming his tongue. 

 At last he leans forward, and opens his preposterous mouth, 

 and that member protrudes like a goose-quill steeped in 

 white birdlime. For a moment he takes aim, and then, too 

 quick for eye to follow it, the horrid instrument has darted 

 forth, and returned like elastic to its place, and the gay 

 butterfly is being crunched and swallowed as fast as any- 

 thing can be swallowed when tongue, jaws, and throat are 

 smeared with viscid slime. But this part of the process 

 is inconceivably vulgar, and we may well leave the chame- 

 leon to himself till it is over. 



THE DE GAMA. 



42 



