400 
THE STORY OF THE CHAMELEON . 
In this country, however, it rarely retains the bright green hue, the color 
fading into yellowish gray. The cause of the difference of color in the two 
lacteal folds of the body is the manner in which the light acts upon the animal. 
The side turned toward the light is always of a darker color. This holds 
good with reference to the direct and diffused light of the sun and moon as 
well as to' artificial light. 
Notwithstanding the strictly symmetrical construction of the chameleon 
as to its two 1 halves, the eyes move independently of each other, and convey 
different impressions to their different centers of perception; the consequence 
is, that when the animal is agitated, its movements appear like those of two ; 
animals glued together. Each half wishes to move its own way, and there 
is no concordance of action. The chameleon, moreover, may be asleep on 
one side and awake on the other. When cautiously approaching my specimen 
at night with a candle, so as not to' awake the whole animal by the shaking 
of the room, the eye turned toward the flame would open and begin to> move, 
and the corresponding side to change color, whereas the other side would 
remain for several seconds longer in its torpid and changeable state, with its 
eye shut. 
It seems probable that the change of color may be directly owing to the 
greater or less rapidity of the circulation, which may turn the chameleon 
from green to yellow, just as in ourselves an emotion of the mind can tinge 
the cheek with scarlet, or leave it pallid and death-like. 
The common chameleon is sixteen to- eighteen inches long, the tail being 
nearly as long as the body. 
