CAM 
CAM 
|>arts; and alfo of making certain parts refleft, and 
of preventing others from reflefting; and hence 
that variation, that medley of colours. 
The Camelcon, however, is not the only ani- 
mal poffelTed of the property of changing it's co- 
lour. Grew mentions a fort of lizard, which, when 
fwelled v/ith rage, changes it's colour from green 
to a kind of ruffet: and a firailar account is given 
of the naque moufche, an infeft peculiar to the 
ifland of Nevis, in the Weft Indies; feveral vari- 
eties of which curious animal are defcribed by na- 
tural ifts. 
Cameleon, Mexican. This animal is of a 
very finguiar fliape, the back being crooked, and 
the body thick. The head is adorned with a creft, 
or triangular bony crovN'n, bordered with fmall tu- 
bercles like fo many pearls, fonie of which alfo 
appear on the nofe and forehead. The breaft, as 
well as all the under parts of the body, feem to be 
befet with a kind of ferrated teeth, reacliing as far 
as the tail, vv^hich is curled at the extremity. The 
back and belly are of a dark afli-colour; but the 
fides are of a pale yellow afh, and covered with 
linall round reddifh fcales. The female generally 
carries her tail turned upwards like a pug-dog; but 
that of the male is lefs curled. 
Cameleon, Ameoyna. The tail of this fpe- 
cies is turned upwards. It has a fort of crown on 
it's head quite different from that of the former, 
refembling a kind of capuchin : this crown is pretty 
flat, and covered v/ith fcales v/hich have the ap- 
pearance of pearls, as well as the throat and the 
reft of the body; but in thefe parts they are much 
fmaller. The eyes are pretty large, and flirround- 
ed with a ring; the fpine of the back and the tail 
are arched and round ; and the vertebrae may ea- 
fily be perceived. The body is covered with 
linall fcales of abrownifl:i afli-colour; but thofe on 
the head, legs, and tail, are fomewhat lighter. 
CameleoNj Ceylonese. This fpecies is of a 
faflTon-colour ; and all the. fcales rife like pearls, 
which, on the upper part, are pretty refplendent. 
The creft or crov/n is covered with large convex 
fcales, very curioufly bordered with round but- 
tons; the Inout is very large and blunt; the throat 
is alio large ; and the tongue, v/hich is long, is 
thru ft out a great way. The under part of the 
body, from the lower jaw to the vent, is full of 
f inall teeth or prickles, form.ed like a faw. Like 
the ant-eater, it fubfifts on ants, which affix them- 
felves to it's tongue when thruftout. 
Carieleon, African. This animal is black- 
ifli, but the teeth or prickles on the back are 
whitifh. It is the largeft ofthe kind. It's tongue, 
when protruded, refembles that of a neat turned 
upfide dowm, being fiat and rough beneath. The 
prickles are extremely white, and furrounded with 
a blackiih ftreak. The upper part of the body, 
the head, and the tail, are painted with a bright 
alh-colour of a fiamiform appearance; the legs 
are long and flender; and the feet, v\^hich are thick, 
confift of five toes, at the ends of which are fmall 
fharp crooked claws. 
Cameleon of the Cape of Good Hope. 
This creature is mottled with white and blue, and 
the greateft part of the tail is of a bright afh-co- 
laur. The creft is flat, oblong, and clentated at 
zhc edges, extending from the point of the fnout 
to the neck, where it is folded like the collar of a 
coat. It is faid to affume the colours which are 
ncareft it; appearing bliic, yellow, and green^ alter- 
nately. 
CAMELITA. Another appell ation for the 
bifon. 
CAMELOPARD. A fingular kind of ani- 
mal, which feems properly to belong to no known- 
clafs of quadrupeds, but to be perfectly fui ge- 
neris. It is called camelopardalis by Latinifts, 
and girafFa and zurnapa by oriental nations, Lia- 
nsus makes it a fpecies ofthe cervus, or ftag kind, 
with fimple horns and very long fore legs; and 
Pennant miakes it a fpecies of goat. 
It is not eafy to form an adeqi:ate idea of 
the fize of this creature, and the oddity of it's fi- 
gure. It Ibmewhat exhibits the flender fhape of 
the deer, or the camel ; but is dcftitute both of 
their fymmetry and eaf/ powef of motion. The 
head bears fome refemblance to tliat of the deer, 
having two round horns about fix inches long, and 
vv'hich it probably flieds every year. It's neck re- 
fembles that of a horfe; and it's legs and feet thofe 
of a deer, but x/ith this extraordinary difference, 
that the fore parts are near twice as long as the 
hinder. As this creature has fometiii:cs been found 
eighteen feet in height, and ten from the ground 
to the top of the ftioulders; fo, allowing three feet 
for the depth ofthe body, fcven feet remain, which 
is a height fufHcient to admit a man mounted on 
a middle-fized horfe. The hinder part, however, 
is much lower; fo that v/hen the animal is in a 
flanding pofture, it has fom.evv^hat the appearance 
of a dog fitting; and this peculiar formation of it's 
legs gives it an aukv/ard and laborious motion, 
which, though fwift, muft neverthelefs be tirefome. 
For this reafon, the Camelopard is very rarely 
found, and only finds refuge in the moft" internal dc- 
farts of Africa. The dimenfions of a young one, as 
they were accurately taken by a perfon xmo exa- 
ipiinedit's flcin, v.'hich was brought from the Cape 
of Good Flope, v/ei-e found to be as follow: tlie 
length of the head was one -foot eight inches; the 
height of the fore-leg, from the ground to the top 
of the fhoulder, was ten feet; from the ihoulderto 
the top of the head, feven; that of the hind-leg 
was eight feet five inches ; and, from the top of the 
fhoulder to the infcrtion of the taiij it v/as exa6liy 
fcven feet long. 
No animal, either froin it's difpofition or forma- 
tion, feems lefs fitted for a ftate of natural hoftility 
than the Camelopard. It's horns are blunt, and 
even knobbed at the ends ; it's teeth are entirely 
formed for vegetable pafture ; it's fldn is beauti- 
fully fpeckled v/ith white fpots on a browniOi 
ground; it is timid and harmlefs; and, notwith- 
ftanding it's vaft" fize, rather flies from than re- 
fifts the moft infignificant enem.y. It gready 
partakes of the nature of the camel, wliich it like- 
wife nearly refembles. It lives entirely on vege- 
tables; and, when grazing, is obliged to fpread it's 
fore-legs very wide, in order to reach it's pafture. 
It's motion is a kind of gallop, two legs on each 
fide moving at the fim.e time; whereas, in other 
animals, they m.ove tranfverfely. It often lies 
s^own on it's belly; and, like the cam.el, has a cal- 
lous fubftance on it's breaft, which, when repoung, 
defends it from in]ury. 
This aninial was known to the ancients, but has. 
very rarely been ilen in Europe. When ancient 
Ronie was in it's fplendour, Pompey exhibited 
no lefs than ten of them at once on the dieatre. 
It v/as a barbarous pleafi-tre peculiar to the people 
of thofe times to fee the m.oft ferocious, as well as 
moft extraordinary animals, produced in combat 
againft each other ; the lion, the lynx, the tyger, 
the 
