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NATURAL HISTORY READER. 



2. The chameleon is from ten to fifteen inches in length, 

 whereof one half is represented by the prehensile tail. The 

 body is roughly pyramidal in shape ; the skin is covered 

 with papillous elevations instead of scales, and these, in 

 some of the species, assume the shape of spiny processes 

 along the ridge of the back and the median line of the 

 chest and belly. The toes, five in number, are divided into 

 two opposable sets of two and three, the toes of each set 

 being webbed down to the claws, which are long and sharp. 

 The head is angular, rising into a pyramidal occiput. The 



T?ie Chameleon. 



eyeball is very large, protruding, covered with a single lid, 

 which has a minute aperture in the center for the very 

 small pupil. There is no external ear. 



3. The tongue is extensible to the length of half of the 

 total length of the animal — that is, from five to seven inches. 

 The lungs are large, and connect with air-cells underlying 

 the skin. The neck is so short as to prevent the head be- 

 ing turned from side to side. Though the chameleon is 

 arboreal in its habits, it is very slow in its movements. It 

 is unprovided with any weapons of defense against its ene- 



