SAURIA. 185 



where furnished with a range of very small closely-jointed teeth; their palate 

 without teeth? their skin is studded above with very small granular scales, 

 among- which are often found larger tubercles, and beneath, covered with 

 scales somewhat smaller, which are flat and imbricated. 



This genus is numerous and disseminated throughout the warm portions 

 of both continents. The melancholy and heavy air of the Gecko superadd- 

 ed to a certain resemblance it bears to the Salamander and the Toad, have 

 rendered it the object of hatred, and caused it to be considered as veno- 

 mous, but of this there is no real proof. 



The toes of most of them are widened along the whole or part of their 

 length, and furnished beneath with regular plaits of skin, which enable them 

 to adhere so closely, that they are sometimes seen crawling along ceilings. 



They are now divided into the Platidactyli, Hemidactyli, ThecadactyK, 

 &c. &c., according to the different arrangement of the toes. 



We are compelled to establish 



FAMILY V, 

 CHAM^ELEONIDA, 



For the single genus, 



Or the Chameleons, which is very distinct from all other Saurian genera; 

 and is not even easily intercalated in their series. 



Their skin is roughened by scaly granules, their body compressed, and the 

 back if we may so express it trenchant; tail round and prehensile; five 

 toes to each foot, but divided into two bundles, one containing two, the 

 other three, each bundle being united by the skin down to the nails; the 

 tongue fleshy, cylindrical, and susceptible of great extension; teeth trilobate; 

 eyes large, but nearly covered by the skin, except a small hole opposite 

 to the pupil, and possessing the faculty of moving independently of each 

 other; no visible external ear, and the occiput pyramidically elevated. Their 

 first ribs are joined to the sternum; the following ones are extended each 

 to its fellow on the opposite side, so as to enclose the abdomen by an entire 

 circle. Their lungs are so enormous, that when inflated, their body seems 

 to be transparent, a circumstance which induced the ancients to believe that 

 they fed on air. They live on insects which they capture with the viscid ex- 



(1) X*fca/Max (Little Lion), the Grecian name of this animal. Aristotle, 

 who uses it, has also given an excellent description of it. Hist. An. Lib. 

 II, cap. ix. 



