CHAMELEONS. 



173 



lives in trees, like most of their Malagasy compatriots, the lemurs, chamseleons are 

 chiefly found only in regions where foliage is abundant, and where the fall of rain 

 or dew is sufficient to supply them with the amount of moisture they need. Conse- 

 quently, they are most numerously represented in coast districts and islands. A 

 few, however, frequent such parts of desert regions as come under the influence of 

 the sea moisture, and support a more or less scanty vegetation. Needless to say, 

 all the species live on insects, and more especially flies of various kinds, which are 

 caught by the viscid secretion of the tip of the protrusile tongue. 



Being utterly defenceless creatures, and having a large number of enemies, 

 chamseleons depend entirely upon their resemblance to their environment for 

 protection ; and for this end they have the power of changing colour, although not, 

 apparently, to such an extent as is the case with some lizards of the genus Calotes. 

 At night they appear generally to be of a whitish yellow hue, but with the first 

 dawn of day assume the dark green colour characteristic of most of the species, 

 which exactly assimilates to the surrounding leaves, and continues to grow brighter 

 and brighter with advancing day. When resting on a bough, or when captured 

 in the hand, the colour changes, however, to brown ; this change in the latter case 

 taking place with exceeding rapidity, and the skin sometimes becoming nearly 

 black, with the disappearance of all the bright marking. This change, according 

 to Miss C. C. Hopley, is due to anger ; the creature at the same time emitting a 

 sound something between a hiss and the chirp or squeak of a very young bird, and 

 trying to bite its captor. " Meanwhile, it is all impatience to ascend, no matter 

 where, so that it climbs upwards. Up, up, always up ; it may be your dress, or 

 whatever is near. It seems to think it can be safe only at the top of something. 

 And yet they are not found invariably on the upper branches of their bush, though 

 generally rather high. Released from the hand, its anger soon subsides, so does 

 the dark hue, and the creature assumes the tint of the surface on which it is placed, 

 greyish, reddish, darker or lighter, green or yellow, as may be." Several individuals 

 are not unfrequently met with on the same bush, where they cling tightly to the 

 stems among the crowded leaves, being alike difficult to detect and to detach, and 

 always exhibiting their displeasure at being disturbed by the aforesaid hissing 

 sound. Absolutely still they remain, continues the writer just quoted, hour after 

 hour, the only evidence of life about them being that revolving little globe of an 

 eye, with its pupil turning as an axis, now up, now down, forwards or backwards, 

 while its owner clings motionless as death. In repose, the long tongue is folded 

 up within the dilatable skin of the chin, where it has a special sheath for its 

 reception ; but it can be darted out with such speed as to take a fly at a distance 

 of fully six inches. Although the majority of the species lay eggs, the pigmy 

 chamseleon (C. pumilus) of the Cape, together with five nearly allied African 

 species, produce living young, which may be as many as eleven in number. In 

 confinement chamseleons quickly become tame, and, if allowed to rest in peace, after 

 a few days cease to bite and hiss when handled, and soon venture to take a fly 

 from their owner's hand. 



