2G8 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



woe to the luckless insect that, deceived by 

 appearances, ventures within reach of its 

 unerring tongue. For, though the shortness 

 of its neck and its enormous occiput forbid 

 it to turn its head, which it can no more do 

 than a carp or a codfish, the sweep of its 

 vision is very great. Take up a chameleon's 

 skull, and observe how large a space is occu- 

 pied by the orbits. In these capacious 

 receptacles, ample room is afforded for the 

 large globe and the muscles which are to 

 direct it. The pupil looks like an animated 

 gem set in shagreen, and this versatile globe 

 is capable of the most varied and extensive 

 direction. This, as worthy Doctor Godclard 

 says, " she turneth backward or any way, 

 without moving her head ; and ordinarily the 

 one a quite different way from the other." 



But (as another old writer observes) what 

 is most extraordinary in this motion is, to see 

 one of the eyes move whilst the other remains 

 immovable ; and the ont to turn forward at 

 the same time that trit other looketh behind ; 

 the one to look up to the sky, when the 

 other is fixed on the ground. And these 

 motions to be so extreme, that they do carry 

 the pupilla under the crest which makes the 

 eyebrow, and so far into the canthi, or 

 corners of the eyes, that the sight can discern 

 whatever is done just behind it, and directly 

 before, without turning the head, which is 

 fastened to the shoulders. 



I have frequently seen chameleons take 

 their food, although I never could succeed 

 in inducing my own to break its fast. When 

 one of them is about to feed, it rolls its 

 shagreen eyeball till the pupil is brought to 

 bear upon the intended victim. Motionless 

 and patient, the reptile waits till the insect 

 arrives within distance. Then the extensile 

 tongue is protruded, with unfailing aim, pre- 

 cisely to the extent required, and is retracted 

 with the prey. I have seen them take meal- 

 worms frequently. When two mealworms 

 were placed before a chameleon, one on one 

 side and one on the other, at different dis- 

 tances, the eye of each side was levelled at 

 the adjacent insect ; and though the eyes 

 were necessarily looking in different direc- 

 tions, the tongue did its duty upon both, one 

 after the other, when they came within reach. 



The motion of extension and retraction was 

 not very rapid, but it must be remembered 

 that those seen by me were in confinement 

 in this country. 



SINCERITY,— THE BEST " SACRIFICE." 



A PICTURE OF NIGHT. 



When we put ourselves out of the way to be 

 righteous overmuch, and are " wise above what 

 is written", — we do a serious injury to morals, 

 and to mankind at large. Uprightness and 

 virtue (habitual excellences) are our delight ; but 

 we have a bitter and uncompromising hatred 

 towards cant and hypocrisy. 



How beautiful this night ! the balmiest sigh 

 Which vernal zephyrs breathe in Evening's ear 

 Were discord to the speaking quietude 

 That wraps this moveless scene. Heaven's ebon 



vault, 

 Studded with stars unutterably bright, 

 Through which the moon's unclouded grandeur 



rolls, 

 Seems like a canopy that Love hath spread 

 To curtain her sleepy world. Yon gentle hills, 

 Robed in a garment of untrodden snow ; 

 Yon darksome rocks, whence icicles depend, 

 So stainless, that their white glittering spires 

 Tinge not the moon's pure beams ; yon castled 



steep, 

 Whose banner hangeth o'er the timeworn tower 

 So idly, that rapt fancy deemeth it 

 A metaphor of peace, — all form a scene 

 Wh^re musing solitude might love to lift 

 Her soul above this sphere of earthliness ; 

 Where silence undisturbed might watch alone; 

 So cold, so bright, so still! 



NOTES EY A TRAVELLER. 

 AN ASCENT OF MTSA BY NIGHT. 



The mouth of the crater was so dis- 

 tinctly visible from where I stood, that I 

 fancied one vigorous effort would complete 

 the task ; but, alas ! my hopes were doomed 

 to cruel disappointment, when the guide, a 

 rough peasant lad, coolly answered my eager 

 question, "How much farther to go?" 

 " About half way." Campbell says, "Dis- 

 tance lends enchantment to the view ;" 

 but never was mortal wight more thoroughly 

 disenchanted than I was by this unexpected 

 knowledge of the distance before me. " In 

 that case," I despondingly replied, " it is 

 impossible for me to reach the summit." 



I crawled to a friendly block of lava 

 projecting close at hand, and sat down, fairly 

 beaten, dejected, and crestfallen. Overcome 

 by the journey through the night, and the 

 fatigue of the morning's work, I fell into a 

 deep sleep, utterly unconscious and oblivious 

 of the pains and pleasures of my singular 

 situation. My repose lasted about five 

 minutes, and then to what a scene I opened 

 my eyes ! Perched upon the silent rock, I 

 seemed to be suspended in mid air, and for 

 an instant, before 1 could collect my thoughts, 

 wondered where on earth 1 had got to. 



Then first, I found leisure to contemplate 

 the strange, incomparable panorama of the 

 volcano. The tableland, which extends to a 

 great distance around the base of the crater, 

 is covered with the fine sand, like black ash, 

 deposited by the most ancient eruptions 

 which burst from the crater's mouth, and 

 must have been awful in the extreme. In one 

 place the accumulated scoriae have formed a 

 mountain equal in size to that which contains 

 the crater ; in another direction the fiery tor- 



