96 A NATURAL HISTORY 



N. B. The Salamander is faid to live in the Fire, and has 

 power to extinguish it : " From which Conjundbire was taken the 

 " Device of Great King Francis^ the firft of the Name, (Father 

 " of Arts and Sciences) Nufrifco Gf Extinguo, I Feed and Ex- 

 " tinguifh*." 



XXIX. Th E Cameleon belongs to the Clafsof Quadrupedes, and is 

 a little Animal refembling a Lizard, but of a larger and longer Head : 

 Its Eyes ftand out of its Head above one half of their Globe, 

 which he turns fo obliquely, that he fees every thing behind 

 him : Nature perhaps has given it this Advantage, becaufe its 

 Legs (by the llownefs of its motion) are of no ufe to avoid his 

 Ejiemy, by running away. There is yet fomething more ex- 

 traordinary, in the motion of his Eyes, for when one of them 

 moves, the other has no motion at all; one looks upward, the 

 other downwards -j-. 



The length of thefe Creatures does not exceed twelve Inches, 

 and they have a proportionable bignefs. The Skin is plaited and 

 very fine, tranfparent, jagged like a Saw, and thin ; and muft 

 be very compad: and hard, fince, according to the Hiftorian X, 

 'tis not penetrable by the Teeth of Serpents. It has four Feet, 

 and on each Foot three Claws ; its Tail is long and flat, with 

 which, as well as with its Feet, it faftens itfelf to the Branches 

 of Trees : its Nofe long, and ends in an obtufe point : In other 

 refpeds it is made like a Fifli ; that is to fay, it has no Neck )| : 

 Reckoned by Mofes, among the unclean — Numb. xi. 30. 



The Cameleon is faid to transform itfelf into variety of Colours; 

 perhaps this change may arife from the different reflexions of the 

 Rays of Light: Thus they may put on a brown or whitidi Ha- 

 bit, from Trees of that Colour, on which they fit. Others ob- 

 ferve, that its Colour is changeable, according to the various Pat. 

 fions that agitate the Creature i ^-^. When alfecfted with Joy, 'tis 

 of an emerald Green, mixt with Orange, etch'd with little grey 

 and black Strokes: Anger gives it a livid and dufky Colour : Fear 

 makes it pale, and like faded yellow**. All thefe Colours com- 

 pofe fuch a pretty Medley of Shadow and Light, that Nature does 



not 



* Fedro Mexia and M. Francefco Saafcvhw-, the famous lialian. 

 t A Journal of the Philofopb. Mathematical and Botanic Obferv. by Lm; i 

 •^euille. A, D. 1725. 



X Mlian. iv. 33. It Calmet.-^. 351. ** Le Comptes Mev.oirs, p. 502. 



