326 Observations on the Chameleon. 



and then, withdraw it as the fly has been in motion, until at 

 last it has either secured the prey, or given up the attempt. 



About the middle of September, when the weather had 

 become moist, and the thermometer had ceased to stand at 

 60° at noon, its activity was greatly lessened, scarcely moving 

 when awake, and sleeping the greater part of the day ; but 

 the appearance of sunshine restored some degree of activity. 

 It was noticed also that when asleep at night, with the 

 thermometer below 56°, the colour had ceased to be yellow or 

 whitish, as was formerly the case under these circumstances of 

 rest, but pea green. But the greatest changes were in the 

 first week of December, when, with the thermometer at about 

 50°, it ceased to take the flies presented to it ; and when the 

 thermometer was at 46° it had become so torpid as, although 

 taken in the hands, it seemed unable to move or open its eyes. 

 As the coldness of the air appeared to be the cause of this 

 insensibility to impressions which at one time effected visible 

 alterations in its actions, as well as in its changes of colour, 

 it was often brought within the influence of artificial heat; 

 but this appeared to produce little effect, and it never spon- 

 taneously sought the aid of the fire ; whereas the faintest sun- 

 beam was a source of enjoyment, in which it would bask, 

 and for the sake of which it would change its position as 

 the gleam moved in the room. Its breathing at this time 

 appeared distinctly to be counted ; the portion of its body pre- 

 sented to the sunbeams was darker than the rest, and when, on 

 the 5th of December, it was found dead, the general colour of 

 the surface was dark. 



From later and extensive observation of the change of 

 colour found in fishes, it seems certain that there is no physio- 

 logical analogy between what occurs in them and in the 

 chameleon, but that the circumstances, as well as the causes, 

 are altogether different. 



