Chap. II. 
of the East Indies. 
Inches round, that is to fay, when they puff out and ex- 
tend themfelves ; for, otherwife they have not half that 
Bignels, and, in all Probability, it was from this ftrange 
Property of fwelling and leffening their Bodies, that the 
Notion of their living upon Air was firft derived. 
When they do not puff up themfelves, their Skin hangs 
loofe, in fuch a Manner, that the Spine of their Back is plainly 
feen through it, their Ribs may be counted, and the Ten- 
dons of their fore and hind Limbs are plainly vifible. It 
was from the Confideration of the Creature in this Con- 
dition, that Teriullian was led to fay, a Camelion was no 
more than a living Skin a . It muff be confeffed, that this 
Property is net only very fingular, but, in fome meafure, 
alfo inconceivable, for that it diftends itfelf by receiving 
Air, is a Point generally agreed ; and yet, how this Air 
ffiould pafs from the Lungs into the Habitude of the 
Body, is a Thing not hitherto accounted for. 
There is another Quality of this flrange Animal no lefs 
admirable, which is, that when it is thinneft, and the 
Skin hangs as it were upon the Bones, the Motion of its 
Heart cannot be perceived, which one would imagine 
in fuch a State, muff be very fenfible. Its Skin is very 
cold to the Touch, and very uneven in its Surface, full 
of little Points like Shagreen ; but, at the fame Time, 
not at all rough, but very finely polifhed. The Colour, 
when the Creature is ftill, and in the Shade, is, for the 
mofl part, of a Blue-grey, about the Feet it is of a 
White, inclining to Yellow, and, on the Body, there 
are fome Streaks of a pale Red, which is likewife inter- 
mixed with Yellow. 
Arifiotle fays their Skin is black ; but it is certain, that the 
Camelion feen in Europe hath its Skin naturally of a 
Blue-grey, which it likewife retains after it is taken off. At 
firft alfo it retains the Streaks before-mentioned, but by 
degrees, and as it grows dry, they wear out, and are no 
longer vifible. When thefe Animals are placed in the Sun, 
they change their Colour intirely, and affume that which 
is called an Ifahella , compofed of a pale yellow on the Sur- 
face, and a deep red underneath. When removed out of 
the Sun, this beautiful Colour goes off, and the natural 
Blue-grey returns by degrees. The Camelion being touch’d 
and difturbed when in the Sun, there appeared immediately 
on its Shoulders and Legs black Spots as big as ones Nail. 
Sometimes again its Skin appears checquered with brown 
Spots, inclining to a dark green. 
Upon wrapping the Camelion in Linnen, it was taken 
out white. Aldrovandus lays, that he law one fo changed 
In this manner, that it feemed to difappear, being not 
diftinguifhable in its Colour from the very Linnen it lay 
upon b ; but this Defcription feems to be a little exaggera- 
ted ; for commonly it is obferved to change only to a light 
grey, and its natural dark Colour comes on again in the 
Space of two or three Minutes. But notwithftanding this, 
the Experiment moft evidently refutes what Plutarch and 
« Minus gravely tells us, that the Camelion affumes all Ca- 
l' lours exce pt white c . Arifiotle likewife feems to be in the 
wrong in affirming, that it changes its Colour through its 
whole Body, whereas in all the modern Experiments the 
-Skin, inftead of being uniform, has been fpotted with dif- 
ferent Colours. It muft however be confeffed, that moft of 
thefe Circumftances have varied in different Experiments, fo 
that it is very difficult to fpeak exablly of all thefe Particulars. 
It is natural to conclude with fome Account of the Dif- 
coveries made by the Moderns as to its Food, which feems 
to put that Point entirely out of Difpute. They have 
found that it is fo far from living upon the Air and Sun- 
| thine, as fome learned Men reported, and credulous Peo- 
}P Je believed, that it is in Fad a Beaft of Prey, and more 
ravenous than could be expedited from its Size. 
The Tongue of the Cameleon is the Weapon with 
which he does all this Mifchief. It is covered conftantly 
with a kind ot natural Glew, which draws to it Flies and 
other little Animals, which ftick faft therein, and are 
rawn back there with into the Creature’s Mouth, with fuch 
pio igious Agility, that it is hardly poffible to perceive 
V 9S '- b HiJ!. Na,. p. 13 . ‘ Fh,a„h. Ofer. p. 
m pf- r "W- % !•**** ***■*. for. si 
It A: A 20 7 - Bo chart. Hierozoa. p. n. Uh. vi. c. 4. P//» 
Phtloftrat. de P ita Apollon . Tyan. lib . vi, c . i„ 
Num b. 33. 
477 
this Motion of throwing out and recalling the Tongue^ 
Upon examining this Member clofely With a Microfcope, 
we difeern a Multitude of very fmall Fibres, which run 
winding like a Screw from the Root to the Point of the 
Tongue, which, doubtlefs, contributes very much to that 
extraordinary Quicknefs of Motion with which this Crea- 
ture ufeth it. Upon DIffedion, there are found in the 
Ventricle and in the Inteftines the Flies and Worms which 
it has fwallowed e . 
It voids from Time to Time a kind of Stones of a Size 
and Weight fuperior to any thing it could fwallow ; and 
thefe Stones have afforded Matter for ffeffi Obfervations. 
After having examined them clofely, and making fome 
Experiments on them with diftilled Vinegar, it has been 
found that they have the Head of a Fly, or fome fuch 
thing in the Centre, round which the ftony Mafs forms 
itfelf, and rifes to a confiderable Bulk before it is thrown 
out. I do not find that the Moderns have at all enquired 
into one Fad exprefiy afferted by Mlian f , which is, that 
this Creature is not afraid of, or affeded by the Bite of the 
moft venomous kinds of Serpents ; which perhaps might 
lead us into new Difcoveries. 
24. The Defcription and Hiftory of the Ants of India 
recorded by ancient Authors, is at once the more fingular 
and extraordinary of any thing they have related concern- 
ing this Part of the World, and the more fo, becaufe it is on 
the one hand confidently reported, not by one or two Au- 
thors only, but by almoft all the great Writers of Anti- 
quity s ; and on the other, the ftrideft Enquiry that 
can be made by the Moderns, furniffies us with no fort of 
Intelligence, to prove that either there are, or ever were, 
any fuch Animals as thefe in Nature. It would take up 
too much of the Reader’s Time to enter into a partial lar 
Account of all the Stories that the old Writers tell us with 
regard to the Indian Pifmires ; and therefore to cut the 
Matter ffiort, I ffiall report what Pliny fays upon this Head, 
as containing the Subftance of what other Writers have 
delivered. 
There are ftill to be feen, fays he, in the Temple of Her- 
cules at Ery three, the Horns of a certain Indian Ant, which 
were there fet up to employ the Wonder as well as Curio- 
fity of all Pollerity. Thefe Ants in the Northern Indies , 
and dpecially in the Country of the Dardians , burrough in 
the Ground like Rabbits, and from thence throw up abun- 
dance of fine Gold from the Mines under the Earth, in 
which they make their Holes. Thefe Creatures are of 
the Colour of Cats, and of the Size of Wolves or Foxes 
in Egypt. Phis Gold, which they throw up in the 
Winter Seafon, the Natives of that Country endeavour to 
fteal from them in the extream Heat of Summer, taking 
that Opportunity, when the Pifmires, to ffiun the raging 
Heat of the Sun, lie dole fhut up in their Caves. Yet this is 
even then performed with great Danger ; for if thefe Crea- 
tures gain any Scent of them, they purfue with incredible 
Boldneis and Speed, neither can the Swiftnefs of their Ca- 
mels fave them ; but they are frequently .torn in Pieces by 
thefe furious Animals, eager to recover that Gold in which 
they fo much delight \ 
Arifiotle hath treated largely of the Nature of Ants in 
general, and feems to have examined the Subjeft with great 
Diligence and Application 1 ; yet he fays nothing of thefe 
Indian Ants, though the Story had been told by Writers 
who flouriffied long before him, and therefore in all Pro- 
bability he looked upon it as a Fable. Ihilofiratus fays, 
that thefe Creatures are not only found about the Sources 
of the Indies , but alfo in Ethiopia k ; and yet fuch Tra- 
vellers as have vifited that Country, fay nothing of any 
fuch Animals, which it is impoffible they fhould have 
omitted, if they had either feen or heard of it. It appears 
however clearly both from Strabo and Arian , that this 
Tale, and all the Circumftances relating to it, came origi- 
nally from Magafihenes , who pretends that he had feen the 
Skins of thefe Animals, which were fpotted like the Skins 
of Tygers ; and he alfo reports another Circumftance not 
mentioned by Pliny, which is, that the Inhabitants, by feat- 
IJ 53 
Arift°t, de Hi ft, Anim. Uh. xL cap. 11. 
® Mem 
LaZr'ii m - C - 502< Strabo ’ lih - C/m. Alexandria Peed 
Htjl. Nat. hb. Xi. c. 31. f : Art ft, de Hifh Animal, lib . 
6 F 
terms 
