( 194 ) 



THE CHAMELEON. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Body four-footed, tailed, naked. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTER, &c. 



Lizard with cylindric incurved tail, and toes conjoined by two and three» 

 The Chameleon. 



TH E Channeleon has ever been celebrated for the wonderful power which 

 it poflefles of changing its colour in certain particular circumftances 

 and fituations. This faculty, however, is not peculiar to the Chameleon alone, 

 but is obfervable in a lefs degree in feveral otlier fpecies of lizards. 



The general colour of the Chameleon is a blueifh afli-colour, which fome- 

 time changes to a green, and fometimes to a yellowifh colour, Ipotted un- 

 equally with red. This is particularly obfervable when one fide of the animal 

 is expofed to a full funfliine ; when the unilluminated fide generally appears, 

 yellow, with large roundifli patches or fpots of red-brown. On reverfing the 

 fituation of the animal, the fame change again takes place i the fide which was 

 before in the fhade, and yellow, Ipotted with red, now becoming brown j 

 while the other fide becomes yellow and red. But thefe changes are fubjeft 

 to much variety, both as to colour and difpofition of Ipots, 



It 



