THE CHAMELEON. 91 



THE last example of the Agamidse which can be figured in these pages is the most 

 ferocious-looking of the whole family, and were its dimensions much enlarged, would be 

 universally allowed to be the most terrible-looking creature on the face of the earth. Many 

 reptiles are spiny in different parts of their bodies, but this creature, appropriately termed 

 the MOLOCH, bristles like a hedgehog with sharp spikes, which project both above and below 

 in such profusion, that this Lizard almost seems to have been formed for the purpose of 

 testing' the number of effective spikes that can be planted on a given space. The creature 

 is all spikes, and thorns, and projections. Upon the top of the head two very large spikes 

 are seen, projecting from each eyebrow, and on the back of the neck is a large rounded 

 protuberance, covered with little spiny scales, and having one long projecting spine on 

 each side. On the back, the arrangement is very curious. A number of long spines are 

 scattered at intervals over the surface, each of which is surrounded by a circle of lesser 

 spines. It is worthy of notice that these large spines are hollow, and fit upon pro- 

 tuberances of the skin much in the same way that a cow's horn is sheathed on its core. 

 The whole head and limbs are covered with spines similar in formation, but smaller in 

 size. The tail is covered with long, sharp, spiny scales, arranged in whorls, and boldly 

 radiating from their centre ; and even the toes are covered as far as the long, sharp claws, 

 with boldly keeled scales. The general colour of this reptile is palish yellow, spotted 

 regularly with brown above and below, with dark red blotches edged with black. The 

 Moloch is a native of Australia. 



THE last tribe of the Lizards contains but one genus" and very few species. From 

 their habit of constantly living on trees, these creatures are called DENDEOSAUKA, 

 or TEEE LIZARDS. In these, the scales of the whole body are small and granular, 

 and arranged in circular bands. The tongue is very curious, being cylindrical and 

 greatly extensile, reminding the observer of a common earthworm, and swollen at the 

 tip. The eyes are as peculiar as the tongue, being very large, globular, and projecting, 

 and the ball is closely covered with a circular lid, through which a little round hole is 

 pierced, much like the wooden snow-spectacles of the Esquimaux. The body is rather 

 compressed, the ears are concealed under the skin, and the toes are separated into two 

 opposable groups, so that the creature can hold very firmly upon the boughs. All the 

 Dendrosaura are inhabitants of the Old World. The tail is very long and prehensile, 

 and is almost invariably seen coiled round the bough on which the reptile is standing. 



The most familiar example of the Dendrosaura is the common CHAMELEON, a reptile 

 which is found both in Africa and Asia. 



This singular reptile has long been famous for its power of changing colour, a 

 property, however, which has been greatly exaggerated, as will be presently seen. 

 Nearly all the Lizards are constitutionally torpid, though some of them are gifted with 

 great rapidity of movement during certain seasons of the year. The Chameleon, 

 however, carries this sluggishness to an extreme, its only change being from total 

 immobility to the slightest imaginable degree of activity. No one ever saw a Chameleon 

 even walk, as we understand that word, while running is a feat that no Chameleon ever 

 dreamed of. 



When it moves along the branch upon which it is clinging, the reptile first raises one 

 foot very slowly indeed, and will sometimes remain foot in air for a considerable time, as 

 if it had gone to sleep in the interim. It then puts the foot as slowly forward, and 

 takes a good grasp of the branch. Having satisfied itself that it is firmly secured, it 

 leisurely unwinds its tail, which has been tightly twisted round the branch, shifts it a 

 little forward, coils it round again, and then rests for a while. With the same elaborate 

 precaution, each foot is successively lifted and advanced, so that the forward movements 

 seem but little faster than the hour-hand of a watch. 



The extreme slowness and general habits of this animal are well depicted in an 

 account of a tame Chameleon, kindly presented to me by Captain Drayson, RA. 



