34 Chameleons. REPTILES. Serpents. 
upon air. They had observed its variation in form, 
at it; the insect is caught and swallowed in an instant. 
according as its lungs were distended or not with air, 
Mr. Slight fed his pets upon cockroaches. “ I was 
and were familiar with its faculty of changing colour. 
accustomed,” he says, “ to put six or seven in a shallow 
These peculiarities were highly exaggerated by the 
tin vessel, and to place the Chameleon on its edge, its 
early writers ; and the fictions invented by them were 
head projecting over the brim, to w’hich its forceps were 
still further embellished by the poets, who made the 
generally so firmly attached that it was often difficult 
poor creature the emblem of hypocrisy and incon- 
to remove them. After making a circuit round some 
staricy. It is a dull, slow animal, languid and heavy 
portion of the circle, the animal would distend the pouch 
in its movements, often remaining in the same posi- 
beneath the jaws, expanding them two or three times 
tion for hours together, basking motionless in the rays 
in a trifling degree ; and, stretching forwards its body 
of the sun. In their natural state they live entirely 
on the fore legs, it would suddenly dart out its tongue 
amongst the branches of trees, and their mode of 
with such force as to make a very sensible ring or noise 
progression is ludicrous in the extreme. Thej' can 
on the opposite side of the tin ; would catch the beetle 
neither walk on a plane surface nor swim ; but, from 
or roach on the trumpet-shaped extremity of the tongue, 
the structure of their pincer-like feet and their prehen- 
which was retracted as quick as lightning, and [masti- 
sile tail (which serves them as a fifth limb), tliey are 
cation and] deglutition followed.” These individuals 
able to cling to the boughs with great tenacity. When 
observed by Mr. Slight, did not feed more than once 
a chameleon wishes to change its position, it begins by 
in three or four da3's. Like the rest of the Lizard 
separating the two sets of toes of one of the fore legs ; it 
tribe, they can, indeed, endure a long-continued absti- 
then bends the fore arm, raises it, and carries it slowly 
nence, apparently without injury. Hasselquist kept one 
forwards. F or a short time this foot remains suspended. 
twenty-four days, without giving it the slightest chance 
as if the creature felt a degree of uncertainty as to the 
of getting any food. It gradually, however, he says. 
point to which to guide it, groping about with it in all 
began to get thin ; it would fall back when it was 
directions, in order to meet with some object upon which 
climbing in its cage, and at the end of that period an 
to rest. When it has found this, it appears as if it 
accident put an end to its life. Mr. Martin, however. 
wished to ascertain the solidity of its resting-place ; and 
tells us that he has known individuals live for months 
it is only when satisfied upon that subject, that the two 
without eating. The female deposits her eggs in holes 
sets of toes lay hold of it and take a firm grasp. Iinme- 
made by her in the ground ; she then covers them with 
diately after this, the hind foot on the opposite side 
earth, which she scratches up with her feet as cats 
begins to execute a similar manceuvre. Then the other 
do when they cover their faeces, and over all jdaces a 
fore foot unfolds its pincer-like toes, cautiously moves 
lajmr of dry leaves. The eggs are often as many as 
forward, and is soon succeeded by the opposite hinder 
thirty, and are round, with a calcareous shell, white. 
extremity. Then, but not till then, the tail begins to 
spotless, and very porous. The male is distinguished 
untwist itself from its coil round the substance it had 
from the female by the base of the tail being thickened. 
previously seized to support itself, and follows the move 
Out of the eighteen species enumerated, seven are 
made by the other members. So they progress with 
natives of Madagascar. 
great slowness and regularity, preserving all the time 
THE FORK-NOSED CHAMELEON ( Chameleo hifurcits ) , 
a ridiculous look of affected gravity. The only part of 
is singular from the shape of the head. The crown 
the animal which moves with quickness is its tongue. 
is flat; but the muzzle is prolonged into two distinct 
The food of the Chameleons consists of insects and 
branches, which are compressed, strait, and dentated 
their larvae, <&:c ; and they will remain motionless, 
along the upper and under margins. The object of 
perched upon a branch, watching for hours their uncon- 
this strange formation is unknown, as the animal has 
scious prey. The moment it stirs, the tongue is darted 
not been much observed in its native haunts. 
Order II.— SEEPENTS (Ophidia). 
The passage from the Lizards to the Serpents is by 
neck visible. Certain species have the body and tail 
a succession of very gradual modifications of develop- 
very slender and nearly filiform ; this is especially the 
merit. In general form, as we have seen in treating of 
case with those which inhabit trees. Others, like the 
the former animals, some of the species approach very 
Vipers, &c., have a short tail. In tlie Boas and Pythons 
nearly to that of the latter — such as the Blind-worm 
this part of the body is prehensile ; and in the water- 
{Anguis fi-agilis), &c. — so much so, indeed, that some 
snakes it is more or less flattened, so as to act some- 
authors have considered Lizards and Serpents as con- 
what like a fin. None of the serpents have any cre.st. 
stituting only one order. Serpents differ, however, in 
either on the back or tail, such as we see in many of 
some important respects; and all zoologists are now 
the Lizard order. The skin in many species is suscep- 
agreed in forming them into a distinct order. 
tilde of a certain degree of extension ; and the parti- 
Serpents are reptiles clothed in a scaly skin ; the 
cular disposition and arrangement of the scales, which 
body being always long and nearly cylindrical, though 
cover it and the head, form good characters for assisting 
more or less produced into a point behind. The head 
in forming genera and species. Serpents change their 
is continuous with the body, there being nothing like a 
skin pretty often, an operation which is generally known 
