6o 
CHAMELEON. 
blue green colour. On the contrary, says M. d’Ob- 
sonville, when this animal is a prisoner, impoverished, 
and deprived of the free use of air, the circulation 
being more languid, and the exterior vessels, of 
course, more empty, their colour prevails, and the 
chameleon changes to a yellow green, which lasts as 
long as it is confined. 
From what Mr. Barrow has said in his African 
Travels, we conceive that the animal is principally 
indebted for these varied tints to the influence of 
oxygen. This gentleman observes, that £C pre- 
viously to the chameleon’s assuming a change of 
colour it makes a long inspiration, the body swelling 
out to twice its usual size; and, as this inflation sub- 
sides, the change of colour gradually takes place. 
The only permanent marks are two small dark lines 
passing along the sides.” 
This power of inflating its body the chameleon is 
said to possess in an eminent degree : according to 
La Cepede, the inflation is produced by slow and 
irregular efforts ; which, when long continued, ex- 
tend the flaccid sides of the animal to double their 
usual size, and even swell the feet and tail. These 
efforts occasionally continue during two hours, in- 
creasing and diminishing at intervals. When the 
lungs are completely collapsed, and the air is eva- 
cuated from the body of the chameleon, it appears 
to consist of little more than skin and bone; and 
such is its wretched leanness, that the ribs, the ver- 
tebrae of the back, and all the tendons of its legs, 
may be distinctly seen and counted : in this state it 
