120 REPTILES AND BIRDS. 



his "Naturalist's Sojourn" in that beautiful island. " The stranger," 

 he remarks, " walks into the dwelling house. Lizards, still lizards, 

 meet his eye. The little Anoles (A. iodurus, A. opalinus, &c.) are 

 chasing each other in and out between the jalousies, now stopping to 

 protrude from the throat a broad disc of brilliant colour, crimson or 

 orange, like the petal of a flower, then withdrawing it, and again dis- 

 playing it in coquettish sport. Then one leaps a yard or two through 

 the air and alights on the back of his playfellow ; and both struggle 

 and twist about in unimaginable contortions. Another is running up 

 and down on the plastered wall, catching the ants as they roam in 

 black lines over its whitened surface ; and another leaps from the top 

 of some piece of furniture upon the back of the visitor's chair, and 

 scampers nimbly along the collar of his coat. It jumps on the table ; 

 — can it be the same ? An instant ago it was of the most beautiful 

 golden green, except the base of the tail, which was of a soft light 

 purple hue ; now, as if changed by an enchanter's wand, it is of a 

 dull sooty brown all over, and becomes momentarily darker and 

 darker, or mottled with dark and pale patches of a most unpleasing 

 aspect. Presently, however, the mental emotion, whatever it was — 

 anger, or fear, or dislike — has passed away, and the lovely green hue 

 sparkles in the glancing sunlight as before." 



The green colour of certain of these Anoles so closely resembles 

 that of foliage, that they are apt to be overlooked. Thus, Mr. Gosse 

 was about to throw a net over a butterfly, when, as he remarks, " on 

 a slight rustle among the leaves, I observed that it was fluttering as it 

 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 perpendicularly, 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 pretty. 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 bone in front, till its tip reaches nearly as 



