THE CAMELEON. 



Supposed causes of its various colors. 



he then, almost in a moment, takes alternately 

 the three different tints of green. If he be dying, 

 particularly of hunger, the yellow is at first pre- 

 dominant ; but in the first stage of putrefaction 

 this changes to the color of dead leaves. " It 

 seems/' adds this author, " that the causes of 

 these different varieties are several; and first, the 

 blood of the cameleon is of a violet blue, which 

 color it will preserve for some minutes on linen 

 or paper, especially on such as have been steeped 

 in alum water. In the second place, the different 

 tunicles of the vessels are yellow, as well in their 

 trunks as in their ramifications. The epidermis, 

 or exterior skin, when separated from the other, 

 is transparent, without any color; and the second 

 skin is yellow, as well as all the little vessels that 

 touch it. Hence it is probable that the change 

 of color depends upon the mixtures of blue and 

 yellow, from which result different, shades of 

 green. Thus, when the animal, healthy and well 

 fed, is provoked, its blood is carried in greater 

 abundance from the heart towards the extremi- 

 ties; and, swelling the vessels that are spread 

 over the skin, its blue color subsides the yellow 

 of the vessels,, and produces a blue green that is 

 seen through the epidermis. When, on the con- 

 trary, the animal is impoverished and deprived 

 of free air, the exterior vessels being more 

 empty, their color prevails, and the animal be- 

 comes a yellow-green till it recovers its liberty, 

 is well nourished, and without pain, when it 



