Chap. XII. 



Reptiles. 



357 



Cham(eleon Owenii (fig. 36), from the West Coast of Africa, the 

 male bears on his snout and forehead three curious horns, of 

 which the female has not a trace. These horns consist of an 

 excrescence of bone covered with a smooth sheath, forming part of 

 the general integu- 

 ments of the body, 

 so that they are 

 identical in stii c- 

 ture with those oi a 

 bull, goat, or other 

 sheath -horned ru- 

 minant. Although 

 the three horns 

 differ so much in 

 appearance from 

 the two great pro- 

 longations of the 

 skull in C. hi/urcim, 

 we can hardly doubt 

 that they serve the 

 same general pur- 

 pose in the economy 

 of these two ani- 

 mals. The first con- 

 jecture, which will occur to every one, is that they are UFed 

 by the males for fighting together; and as these animals are 

 very quarrelsome,"' this is probably a correct view. Mr. T. W. 

 Wood also informs me that he once watched two individuals of 

 C pumilny, fighting violently on the branch of a tree ; they flung 

 their heads about and tried to bite each other ; they then rested 

 for a time, and afterwards continued their battle. 



With many lizards, the sexes differ slightly in colour, the 

 tints and stripes of the males being brighter and more distinctly 

 defined, than in the females. This, for instance, is the case with 

 the above Cophotis and with the Acnnthodactylus caper, sis of 

 S. Africa. In a Cordylus of the la'ter country, the male is 

 either much redder or greener than the female. In the Indian 

 Cahti's riigrilahris there is a still greater difference; the lips also 

 of the male are black, whilst those of the female are green. In 

 our common little viviparous lizard (Zonlocn vivipara) "the 

 " under side of the body and base of the tail in the male are 

 " bright orange, spotted with black ; in the female tliese parts 

 '■ are pale-greyish-green without spots." ™ We have seen that 



" Dr. Bucholz, ' Mnnatsbericht '» Bell, ' History of British 



K. Preuss. Akad.' Jan. IBli, p. 78. Keptiles,' 2nd edit. 1849, p. 40. 



Fijj 36. Chama-leon Owpnii. Uppt-r figure, male 

 lower figure, femule. 



