CHAPTER IV 
CHAM/ELEONS TUATERA 
Cham.eleons 
T he ChaM/ELEONS differ in so many 
important structural points from the 
ordinary lizards that they are usually 
regarded now by scientists as a distinct reptilian 
sub-order. The essential characters, externally 
recognisable, that serve to distinguish the chamae- 
leons are: — Firstly, the extraordinary develop- 
ment of their worm-like extensile tongue, the tip 
of it club-shaped and highly viscous, and the 
shaft cylindrical and as elastic in texture as india- 
rubber. Adapted for the special object of catch- 
ing flies, this organ can be projected from the 
mouth to a distance of 6 or 8 inches or more 
with lightning-like rapidity, and rarely misses its 
quarry. Comparing small things with great, 
the chamaeleon’s tongue and its action might be 
likened to a schoolboy’s popgun, having its pellet 
secured to the barrel by a long elastic ligament. 
Presuming further that the pellet is covered 
with a viscid secretion such as bird-lime, and 
that the object shot at is hit and brought back 
to the shooter’s pocket by virtue of the liga- 
ment’s intrinsic elasticity, we have an almost 
veritable replica of the chamaeleon’s fly-catching 
apparatus. The second remarkable structural 
peculiarity of the chamaeleon is the independent 
relationship of the two eyes. The eyes them- 
selves are unlike those of any other lizards ; they 
are large, prominent, skin-covered cones, perforated 
only at their extreme ape.x for the minute pupil- 
opening: while one eye may be fixed on an 
object in front of it, the other may be rolling 
around in search of a second quarry. This 
independent capacity of vision, while peculiar 
among reptiles to the chamaeleon, is common to 
many fishes, such as blennies and flat-fishes. A 
third anomaly in the chamaeleon’s structure is 
the character of the feet ; these resemble those 
of a parrot, the toes being bound together in 
two opposable bundles. In the fore foot the 
inner bundle contains three and the outer one 
two toes only, while in the hind foot the order 
183 
Phole by IV. Saville- Ktrit, F.Z.S.] [_Milfard-on.Sea 
CHAM.®LEONS ASLEEP 
The tail of the sleeping chamteleon is frequently coiled spirally like 
the proboscis of a hutterfy 
Photo by IV. Saville- Kent.. F.Z.S ] [Alilford-on-.'iea 
A CHAM.®LEON IN A RAGE 
Pufing and hissing at an approaching intruder 
