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The legs are longer than usual in the lacerta genus; on the fore- 
feet are three toes nearest the body, and two without; the hinder 
exactly the reverse; with these claws it clings fast to the branches, 
to which it sometimes entwines itself by the tail, and remains 
suspended: the skin is granulated like shagreen, except a range 
of hard excrescences, or denticulations, on the ridge of the back, 
which are always of the same colour as the body; whereas a row 
of similar projections beneath continue perfectly white, notwith- 
standing any metamorphosis of the animal. 
The general colour of the chamelion so long in my possession 
was a pleasant green, spotted with pale blue: from this it changed 
to a bright yellow, dark olive, and a dull green; but never ap- 
peared to such advantage as when irritated, or a dog approached 
it; the body was then considerably inflated, and the skin clouded 
like tortoise-shell, in shades of yellow, orange, green, and black. 
A black object always caused an almost instantaneous transforma- 
tion: the room appropriated for its accommodation was skirted 
by a board painted black, this the chamelion carefully avoided; 
but if he accidentally drew near it, or we placed a black hat in 
his way, he was reduced to a hideous skeleton, and from the most 
lively tints became black as jet: on removing the cause, the effect 
as suddenly ceased; the sable hue was succeeded by a brilliant 
colouring, and the body was again inflated. 
The Concan abounds with serpents, similar to those already 
described: one of the most dangerous is a long snake of a beau- 
tiful green; in form resembling the lash of a coach-whip, from 
whence it is called the whip-snake. This insidious animal conceals 
itself among the branches of trees, from whence it darts rapidly on 
