130 SAUEIANS. 



was fluttering as if unable to get away. My impression was that 

 an invisible Spider's- web was holding it ; but, looking closer, I 

 found that a little green Anolis had the Butterfly in its mouth. 

 Its colour was so exactly that of the verdant leaves of the bush, 

 that I had not perceived it before, although my eyes were fixed on 

 the spot. I have also observed the same species feeding on Ants. 

 On a gateway a number of scattered Ants of a small kind were 

 running to and fro, as they very frequently are seen to do. A 

 beautiful male Anolis had stationed himself on the post perpen- 

 dicularly, with the head downwards, and as the Ants one by one 

 came near him he snapped them up. Each capture was the work 

 of an instant ; he touched the post with his muzzle, and the Ant 

 was gone : they were evidently seized with the lips, not with the 

 tongue. These little creatures are as playful as they are j)retty. 

 As they creep about they often catch sight of another of the same 

 species ; immediately one suddenly raises and depresses the head 

 and fore-parts, flirts the tail from side to side, and extends the 

 goitre by means of the elastic arched hone in front, till its tip 

 reaches nearly as far as the muzzle. The brilliant goitre is thus 

 alternately extended and relaxed several times. After being thus 

 ' signalized ' for a few seconds, one darts towards the other, who 

 usually runs away, apparently as if wishing to be caught." Else- 

 where Mr. Gosse describes the noosing of an example of a fine Lizard 

 of this Anolis group, the Daciyla Ecbvardsii, which is also a native 

 of Jamaica, " about a foot long, and of a lively green colour. He 

 was very savage, biting at everything near : presently his colour 

 began to change from green to blackish, till it was of an uniform 

 bluish black, with darker bands on the body, and a brownish black 

 on the tail ; the only trace of green was just around the eyes." He 

 was placed in a cage, and " at night," continues Mr. Gosse, " I 

 observed him vividly green as at first — a token, as I presumed, 

 that he had in some measure recovered his equanimity. The next 

 day he continued very fierce. I hung the cage out in the sun ; two 

 or three times in the course of the day I observed him green, but 

 for the most part he was black. The changes were rather quickly 

 accomplished. The food of this Lizard appears to include both 

 vegetable and animal substances. I was never able to induce 

 one to eat in captivity ; but the dissection of several has given me 



