11EPTILES. 283 



venomous and highly dangerous. Besides the depressed form 

 of the body, they are eminently distinguished by having the 

 feet palmated, or rather lobed and dilated into discs."* In 

 consequence of this peculiarity of structure they can ascend 

 walls, and even run along ceilings. They lurk in crevices 

 during the day, and come forth at night in pursuit of their 

 insect food. 



Perhaps, however, there are no reptiles to which a greater 

 degree of popular interest attaches than to the Cameleons 

 (Fig. 229). They are exclusively natives of the warm parts 



Fig. 229. CHAMELEON. 



of the Old World, and exhibit several structural peculiarities. 

 Like other Lizards they have five toes ; but they are divided 

 into two parcels, and thus adapted for climbing. The tail 

 also serves as an instrument for prehension. The eyes have 

 such independent powers of motion that they can be turned 

 in the most opposite directions at the same time. The tongue 

 is of great length, and is terminated by an adhesive disc, 

 which they dart out with unerring aim at their insect prey. 

 We have watched for hours their sluggish and almost inani- 

 mate appearance, though even at such times they occasionally 

 manifest the singular changes of colour for which they are so 

 celebrated. These, however, are not to the extent set forth 

 in a well-known poetical composition, with which every 

 school-boy is familiar; but after all allowance for poetical 

 exaggeration, the phenomenon is sufficiently curious to have 

 been for a long time one that naturalists were unable to 

 explain. It was reserved for Milne Edwards to solve the 

 problem. | He has shown that there exist, in the skin of 



* Swainson on Fishes, Amphibia, and Reptiles, 

 f Annales cles Sciences Naturelles. January, 1834. 



