CHAP. IV. MOTIONS OF REPTILES AND BIRDS. 97 



outward appearance, they so much resemble. The land 

 tortoise, although provided with feet, is proverbial for 

 the sluggishness of its motions : this is chiefly owing 

 to the situation of its legs, which, being placed very 

 much towards the sides of its body, are so wide apart 

 as to create considerable awkwardness of movement. 



(118.) The whole order of lizards, with the excep- 

 tion of the chamaeleons, are so extremely quick and 

 rapid in their evolutions, that it is almost impossible 

 to catch or overtake them before they reach a place of 

 shelter. The chamaeleons, on the contrary, are particu- 

 larly slow : they may be almost said to take their food 

 without the trouble of hunting for it, at least, so far 

 as their locomotive powers are concerned. The habits 

 of one of these singular animals, we had the oppor- 

 tunity of observing while in Malta, having procured 

 it from Egypt : it merely removed from one station to 

 another in the room, according as the rays of the sun 

 entered the casements, and attracted the flies ; these it 

 would catch only by darting out its long tongue, the 

 animal, in all other respects, remaining quite motion- 

 less : on such occasions, it usually assumed the tint of 

 the object nearest to it. Alligators and crocodiles, 

 although capable of walking slowly upon land, move in 

 the water to which their webbed feet, and long com- 

 pressed tail, are so well adapted with considerable 

 speed, darting along with great velocity when about to 

 seize their prey, although somewhat embarrassed by 

 their large size, when they attempt to turn suddenly 

 round. Even reptiles can boast several species possess- 

 ing the power of flight ; the flying lizards of India, of 

 the genus Draco, being provided with membranaceous 

 wings projecting from each side of the body, which 

 enable them to fly from one tree to another in search 

 of food, something in the same way as the flying 

 squirrels of America. 



(119.) Birds are the most highly gifted of all ani- 

 mals, in their powers of locomotion : these consist of 

 H 



