LIZARDS. 15 



The Chamaleontidce, or Chamseleons, are almost peculiar to [Case 22.] 

 Africa, and most numerous in Madagascar; one (the common) 

 species extends into India and Ceylon. No other member of 

 the Order of Lizards shows such a degree of specialization as the 

 Chamaeleon. The tongue, eyes, limbs, tail, skin, lungs are modi- 

 Fig. 11. 



Common Chamseleon. 



fied in a most extraordinary manner to serve special functions in 

 the peculiar economy of these animals. They lead an exclusively 

 arboreal life : each of their feet is converted into a grasping hand, 



Fig. 12. 



Hand of Chamseleon. 



by means of which, assisted by a long prehensile tail, they hold so 

 fast to a branch on which they are sitting that they can be dis- 

 lodged only with difficulty. Their movements are slow and awk- 

 ward on the ground, and still more so in the water, where they 



