34 VERTEBRATA. REPTILIA. 



Anolis.* 



These pretty and agile Lizards inhabit trees, on 

 the branches of which they run to and fro, and leap 

 from leaf to leaf with great dexterity and precision. 

 To facilitate these motions, their toes have the skin 

 of one joint dilated into a little oval disk, and their 

 nails are much hooked. The skin is shagreened 

 with small scales, and they have a dewlap under the 

 throat, which they inflate when excited. Many of 

 them have the power of changing their colours like 

 the Chameleons. The species are confined to America. 

 The Green Anolis (A. Bullaris) is common in the 

 Southern United States ; it is hardly so large as our 

 little Viviparous Lizard, and usually of a bright yel- 

 lowish green. It is a most active little creature, 

 pursuing winged insects to the extremity of the 

 twigs, with great agility, and taking surprising leaps 

 from one bush to another. When irritated, the 

 dewlap swells to a great size, and becomes of a bright 

 crimson. The writer has had the pleasure of wit- 

 nessing its changes of hue, from bright green to 

 blackish brown, and vice versa, an alteration very 

 completely, though slowly and gradually effected. 

 It is a quarrelsome little creature. " When two of 

 these animals attack each other, it is always with 

 boldness. They appear to threaten by rapidly agitat- 

 ing the head. The throat swells ; their eyes sparkle ; 

 and they seize each other with fury, and fight with 

 bitterness. The weakest takes to flight, his enemy 

 * A native name. 



