74 
LETTERS FROM ALABAMA. 
leap to another at a short distance, and secure its 
footing without difficulty. 
I had been inclined to consider the changes of 
colour attributed to some lizards a gross exagge- 
ration, if not a mere fable : but I had recently the 
satisfaction of witnessing a change of this sort in 
the present species. The children had been chasing 
a little lizard about the logs of which the school- 
house is built, for some time; but it manifested 
great cunning and agility in avoiding them, creeps 
ing through the many crevices between the logs, 
being sometimes in the school and sometimes on 
the outside ; they at length caught it, however, 
and brought it to me. It was all over of a brownish- 
black hue, except a line down the back, which was 
pale dusky. One of the lads told me that it was 
the little green tree-lizard, which had become black 
from being on the dark logs, and that it would turn 
gTeen again if placed on a leaf. This I could not 
at all believe, though it certainly corresponded with 
that species in size, shape, and general appearance. 
But as it was easy to put it to the test of experi- 
ment, I let the lizard hop upon a small solitary 
plant in the sunshine, bidding some of the children 
watch it, without disturbing it. They soon brought 
it to me again, telling me that it was changing ; 
and upon looking at it, I could distinctly perceive 
a tinge of green upon the black. Still incredulous, 
however, and thinking it might possibly be fancy, 
I put it into my desk ; and about half an hour 
after, on opening it, I was no less surprised than 
delighted to see the lizard of a brilliant light green, 
the line down the back blackish ; there was not the 
least hue of green in the black at first, nor was 
there any blackness in the green hue now ; the 
