I! El "TILES. 



397 



upon his head a crown ; the basilisk of fact had a curious lobe on the top 

 of its head, therefore the two were identical. The general appearance of 

 the animal is shown in our cut. It only needs to be said that the animal 

 lives in trees and bushes, and is utterly destitute of any noxious qualities. 



The American chameleon, shown in our next cut, is not a chameleon at 

 all. Less does it deserve the other name often applied to it of ' scorpion ' ; for 



Fig. 347. — Basilisk (Basiliscvs mitratits). 



it is in nowise, either in appearance, habits, or poisonous qualities, related 

 to the true scorpions. It shares, however, one feature of the true chame- 

 leon, — the power of changing its color. Dr. Lockwood has described this 

 in a charming way. " Now," he says, " begins that wonderful play of 

 colors. It appears first in the normal bronze-brown of the back. Literally 

 they are lively colors ; such are the moving changes as the folds of the 



