220 



THE AXOLIS. 



arising from the muscles being articulated quite through the 

 vertebrae. If struck with a switch, the body is easily broken 

 i'U two or more parts. Sometimes, indeed, the creature breaks 

 off its own tail, by a remarkable habit it possesses of con- 

 tracting the muscles with great force. The common English 

 blind-worm breaks to pieces in a similar manner. 





THE AXOLIS. 



Among the true lizards is a pretty little creature known as 

 the green Carolina anolis. It is especially daring ; not only 

 refusing to run away at the approach of man, but will enter 



houses, and run about the 

 room in search of flies. It is 

 very active, climbing trees, and 

 leaping fi-om branch to branch 

 in its search for insects, of 

 which it destrovs oTcat num- 

 bers. It is about seven inches 

 long — mostly of a beautiful 

 green above, with white be- 

 low ; and it has a white 

 throat-pouch, which generally appears with a few bars of red 

 upon it, but when inflated the colour spreads over the whole 

 surface. 



Mr. Gosse describes one which he saw i-unnino' about amoufi 

 tlie branches of a sassafras, just as it had seized a grasshopper; 

 He caught the creature, which was then of a green hue ; but, 

 on placing it on an old log, the colour changed to a brownish- 

 black. . He was told, that if placed on a green leaf it would 

 again become green. In a short time, after remaining in the 

 sunshine,, it changed once more, to green. Again it became 



THE ANOLTS. 



