EAST AFRICAN LIZARDS. 



165 



specimen, whilst tlie lowest number found was eleven measuring 

 4x4 mm. (10. v. 15). 



Most specimens were found during the early rains of March- 

 April 1915, when the following notes were made of the use of the 

 horns in fighting, etc. : — 



March 31st, 1915; Nairobi. — I have half-a-dozen live chame- 

 leons on branches of Eucalyptus, which are tied to the cords of the 

 electric lights and about five feet from the ground. 



Whilst sitting at the table writing, I heard the sound of a moth 

 flapping its win<>s, and, glancing round, saw a large yellow under- 

 wing {Mamas ftdlonical), twice as large as the common English 

 Yellow Underwing, in one of the Eucalyptus branches. Supposing 

 it to have got caught in a spider's web, I seized a killing-bottle ; 

 on reaching the spot, however, I found that it was caught by the 

 right-hind wing by one of the chameleons. Being large and 

 strong it flapped vigorously : the chameleon, biding its time, 

 gulped it down in the intervals between its struggles until only 

 a small portion of the body of the moth remained to view. 



Meanwhile, the second chaiueleon on that branch had been 

 eyeing its companion with evil intent. As soon as it perceived 

 that the captor was in difficulties, it hurried across the intervening 

 twigs, and pausing only to take aim, shot out its tongue and caught 

 •one of the now feebly flapping wings ; having got this into its 

 mouth, it commenced a tug-of-war jowl to jowl, and thus succeeded 

 in wrenching the whole moth from its companion's jaws. The 

 poor moth's " fur was flying in the air, and the first chameleon's 

 mouth was woolly with it — this was all the share of the spoils 

 that it was destined to receive. 



There are three electric-light cords with branches tied to them, 

 and on each are two of these chameleons. More than two are 

 not tolerated ; introduce a third, and the two original inhabitants 

 hurry towvards it open-mouthed, striding along faster than on any 

 other occasion. As a jDreliminary to fighting, the opponents face 

 one another, swaying their bodies from side to side ; and if the 

 intruder does not turn tail at this and cast himself to the ground, 

 as is generally the case, he is at once attacked. One of the 

 chameleons was very ingenious, placing his chin to the branch, 

 which was of course vertical, so that his rostral and prse-orbital 

 horns point directly downwards ; he thus advanced upon the foe 

 as it were with fixed bayonets : by this means he generally 

 succeeded in sweeping his opponent off, but sometimes the latter 

 would seize one of the horns wuth its fore-foot, and a tussle would 

 begin. 



They would bite each other hard, and in one instance the one 

 chameleon mounted the other's back, and digging its claws in 

 continued the attack from this vantage point. So strong was its 

 grip that I had the greatest difficulty in separating the com- 

 batants. Several times have I seen one seize the other's "arm" in 

 very human fashion, and then butt in with its armoured head. 



