408 NATURAL HISTORY. 



beetle or a fry. and thence suddenly, with the rapidity of light, darts 

 forth his tongue and 1 rings back the insect, the whole operation taking 

 but a fraction of a second. 



The chameleons are most renowned for their changes of color, which 

 are much like those of the American chameleon already described, except 

 that they are even more rapid and more extensive. Notwithstanding the 

 old author, they can change to red and white. The change of color in all 

 these forms is brought about by little cells containing different colors. At 

 the will of the animal the color in these can be increased or diminished 

 just as in the squids already described. The change is not wholly depend- 

 ent on the will ; for it is to a certain extent reflex, and will vary according 

 to the surroundings and under such circumstances as to render it probable 

 that it is not always by the volition of the animal. The true chameleons 

 are all confined to the tropical and sub-tropical parts of the Old World, 

 the species figured occurring in the region around the Mediterranean. 



Turtles. 



Strange creatures are the turtles, with their bony houses, which they 

 carry around with them. Wherever they are they are at home, and all 

 that is necessary, when they desire seclusion, is to fold away the tail and 

 draw in the head and legs. It is no wonder that they figure extensively 

 in mythology, and what firmer support could have been discovered for the 

 earth than the giant tortoise which the ancients claimed held it up ? 



This bony investment of the turtle deserves a few words. It is a bony 

 box, usually marked on the outer side into polygonal plates, and showing 

 on the inner surface the backbone, portions of which, together with the 

 ribs, are expanded to form the dorsal part. In its shape and in the char- 

 acter and outlines of the plates great differences can be seen. 



First of the turtles is the monstrous marine leather-back, or trunk- 

 back, which is found in all the seas of the world. Although thus widely 

 distributed, it is really a rare species, and the capture of an individual on 

 our shores is chronicled in all of the scientific journals. But little is 

 known of its habits, for naturalists but rarely have a chance to see these 

 creatures, and then generally when they are dead or dying. So far as the 

 writer has been able to ascertain, but fourteen specimens have been taken 

 on our shores since 1824. One of these, a small one, was captured in a 

 mackerel net off Cape Ann in the summer of 1880. For several days the 

 fishermen kept it in a barn, charging a moderate price for admission. It 

 struggled greatly to get back to the water, and its actions were pitiful to 

 see. At last death put an end to its sufferings. 



