ORDER SAURIA. 233 



cessary for the purposes of their vile ambition, and of those 

 flatterers, who, taking as it were the colour of circum- 

 stances, view with an attentive eye the person whom they fear, 

 or from whom they entertain expectations ; who never make 

 a single step, which they do not believe to be advantageous 

 to themselves, and who proceed like the cameleon, feeling 

 their way with caution and servility. Such are stigmatized 

 by La Fontaine as, 



" Peuple cam^l^on, peuple singe du maitre." 



The cameleon has also furnished a comparison for those 

 inconstant and capricious persons, whose inclinations are 

 perpetually changing, not from interested motives, but from 

 mere vmsteadiness of mind, or those, who unstamped by 

 the hand of nature with any original character, fall almost 

 unconsciously into the tone of the society in which they are 

 placed, and thus become " all things to all men." 



It is only in the warmest parts of Africa and Asia, that 

 the caraeleons are to be found. It is very probable that 

 there are none in America, though Seba talks of them as 

 belonging to that quarter of the globe. Africa has been 

 thought to be the region in which they most abound. 



The disposition of their toes, gives to these animals, a 

 very great facility in seizing the branches of trees, and re- 

 maining perched there like birds ; while their long and 

 prehensile tail, serves to give a still greater fixedness and 

 solidity to their position. 



The walk of tlie cameleons is very slow. They are some- 

 times to be seen for entire days on the same branch. It is 

 only with great circumspection, and after having felt their 

 way, and fixed themselves strongly with the tail, that they 

 will venture on a few paces. This slowness of motion, and 

 their total want of arms offensive and defensive, render them 

 an easy prey to the numerous enemies who may choose to 



