Becent Contributions to the Zoology of Old Calabar. 307 



the extremities. The general colour of this chameleon, 

 preserved in spirits, is bluish-grey, mottled with lighter, 

 and spotted over with reddish-yellow and white. The 

 colours are principally thrown into transverse bands, alter- 

 nately light and dark, approaching to black, some nine or 

 ten of which may be counted between the neck and extre- 

 mity of body. The tail is also crossed by alternate fainter 

 bands of light and dark grey. 



The body measures laterally 4 J inches in length from 

 snout to anus, and the tapering tail 6 J inches in length from 

 the anal opening. Should the specimen turn out to be new, 

 which, however, from the want of various specimens to com- 

 pare it with, he was unable finally to determine, he would be 

 inclined to suggest for it the designation of the banded 

 chameleon — 



Chamceleon fasciatus, n. s. ? 



Dr Smith trusted, however, to be able to bring the speci- 

 men under the examination of Dr J. E. Gray of the British 

 Museum, our first authority in such matters. 



The chameleons found at Old Calabar, in addition to the 

 one now exhibited, were, Dr Smith said, the Cliamveleon or 

 Pterosaurus cristatus of Gray, two specimens of which had 

 been already exhibited by him to the Society ; and the three- 

 horned chameleon {Cliamodeon tricornis) exhibited by Mr 

 Andrew Murray in 1860. 



Mr He wan had sent him some notes on the chameleon, and 

 describes a curious African superstition in reference to those 

 found at Old Calabar. He writes as follows : — 



" Altogether I don't think I have seen more than six or 

 seven. The fringed one is certainly the most common, so 

 far as I have noticed, but I have seen others also. This, as 

 I have said, is a matter for future investigation. 



" The superstition with reference to the chameleon is this : 

 Should a person going along the road meet a chameleon 

 and kill it, he must place it in some conspicuous place 

 there, and to do so as definitely as he can he collects a few 

 green leaves, and places them over the dead body of the rep- 

 tile. Every person passing the spot is thus enabled to take 



vol. in. 2 R 



