JuiC 
'ibrfuL Jwwtifiic, fa. 
grief which seized the men when it was known that 
their young and beloved Commander was killed, and 
says that it was only by keeping the intelligence of 
the fact from them until they were safely anchored in 
a boat on the Potomac, that the town of Alexandria 
was preserved from destruction. Had the Zouaves 
learned of the affair immediately, or before these 
precautions were adopted, no power would have 
been sufficient to restrain them from avenging their 
Commander’s death in too fearful a manner to 
contemplate. 
pony, its debouchement into the Chesapeake, the 
York river flows forty miles, being an estuary with a 
heavy tide, varying from two to four miles in width. 
It Is navigable by the largest vessels to Yorktown, 
aud by vessels of secondary draft to its sourco. A 
land spit, separates the mouth of the York river from 
Mob-Jack bay, which sets inland about fifteen miles, 
with eighteen feet of water. Into this bay empties 
the Severn, North, and Ware rivers, inconsiderable 
streams, navigable a short distance for vessels of light 
draft. From the lighthouse at New Point Comfort to 
the lighthouse at the entrance of the Rappahannock, 
is twenty miles. A space of four miles to the south 
of the light, comprises the entrance to the Rappa- 
hannoek, and a small bay and river called the Pian- 
keetank. 
Tub Raitaii ANNOck.—The Rappahannock, like 
the lames river, rises In the mountainous portion of 
the State. At one hundred miles from its mouth 
navigation is stopped by falls ami rapids. The river 
below the falls has the character of an ostuary, being 
broad and affected by the tides. At the head of tide¬ 
water is the city of Fredericksburg, a great tobacco 
depot, lying on the Hue of the Richmond and Poto¬ 
mac railroad. 
The Potomac. —Twenty-two miles from the light 
ship, moored at the mouth of the Rappahannock, is 
the lighthouse at Smith’s point, guiding the entrance 
to the Potomac. This is one of the noblest rivers in 
the country, having, from its rise among the Alle¬ 
gany mountains to its continence with the Chesa¬ 
peake, every varioty of scenery. For two hundred 
miles It is broken by numerous rapids and falls. 
Then subsiding at onco into a deep, broad, tidal 
stream, it affords to its entrance iuto the Chesapeake 
a hundred miles of navigable water for ships of the 
line. At the head of navigation lies the city of Wash¬ 
ington. where the river is a mile in width. 
A i, ion AMiuiA, —Seven miles below Washington lies 
the city of Alexandria, the most important town on 
the Virginia side of the river. The shores of the 
Potomac below Washington have but a few slight 
elevations, and it would be difficult to impede navi¬ 
gation by hnstlly constructed batteries. The width 
for the sumo distance varies from one and a half to 
live miles. As the upper portion of the Chesapeake 
lies in Maryland, a Union State, its topography is of 
minor importance. The navigable porttou of the 
Chesapeake, at the mouth of the Potomac is twelve 
miles in width. It is now certain that the rebel com¬ 
merce of the ChoBHpeuke has been wholly shut in, 
and that the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and 
James rivers are held in the closest blockade. As 
the Dismal Swamp canal is still open, however, an 
important trade may bo carried on with North and 
South Carolina. By closing up the Virginia rivers, 
the rebel army is cut off from one source of food 
supplies of considerable importance, the Chesapeake 
fish and oyster banks, which line both shores of the 
bay from the capes to the Patapsoo, 
HELLS AND BOMBS 
Tnr. correspondent of the Springfield Republican, 
writing from Troy, N. Y., May 8th. says: 
The Watervleit Arsenal, situated at West Troy, is, 
as yon doubtless know, the largest arsenal for the 
construction and fabrication of military implements, 
other than small arms and cannon, in the country; 
and ft visit to its workshops at the present time, pow¬ 
erfully impresses one with the strength and resources 
of our Government. Everything is at present on a 
war footing, and from three to four hundred hands 
directly, and as many more indirectly, in the neigh¬ 
boring fonnderies, are kept busy night and day. 
Through the thieving of Floyd and the recent requi¬ 
sitions of Government, the Arsenal has been nearly 
stripped of muskets, pistols, and cannon; but of 
other munitions there is yet an ample store. A 
large number of hands are engaged in the prepara¬ 
tion of ammunition; sixty thousand ball cartridges 
are made daily. Most of these are intended for the 
Minie rifle, but large numbers of tbe old-fashioned 
round ball cartridges are also manufactured. The 
rapidity with which a cartridge is made is wonderful. 
A boy sits at a counter with a cylindrical stick—a 
pile of greased balls and one of prepared paper be¬ 
fore him—a simple roll of the paper and stick, a 
jerk and a twiRt at one end, a twist of a string, and 
a cartridge is ready for filling in less time than it 
takes to read this description. They are then token 
into another room, placed open end up in shallow 
boxes, and a man, by means of a simple instrument, 
fills them with an equal and specific amount of 
powder, at the rate of thirty a minute. A twist at 
the open end, and the cartridge is complete. The 
manufacture goes on so fast that it requires nearly a 
dozen men and hoys to pack, box, and remove the 
finished cartridges. In another apartment, a number 
of men and girls are employed in the manufacture 
of cannon cartridges of all sizes, from the mightiest 
columbiad down to a six-pounder. The material of 
which they arc made is a kind of woolen goods— 
moreen—imported from England especially for the 
purpose. Thousands of yards of this material were 
in the process of being cut up and manufactured. 
Cannon cartridges are not filled here, but at the 
place where they are intended to be used. In still 
another department grape, canister, and strapped 
ammunition are in course of preparation, while huge 
cart-loads of bomb-shells and spherical shot are 
hourly arriving from the neighboring fonnderies. 
The grape-shot are larger than I supposed, and might 
more properly be called peach-shot than grape-shot. 
Some six or more of these are packed In a sort of 
wire corkscrew arrangement, and fitted into a tin 
case, and when thus finished have much the appear¬ 
ance of jars of preserved meats or fruit. 
The manufacture of bomb shells is also a matter of 
much interest. The preparation of those I witnessed 
is briefly as follows:—The shell is tlrst filled full with 
old-fashioned round leaden bullets; melted sulphur 
is then poured in to fill up the interstices and bind 
the bullets in one solid mass; the shell is then put 
into a kind of lathe, and a cylindrical hole of the 
exact size of the orifice of the shell is bored through 
the bullets and sulphur. This cavity is filled with 
powder, even with the Interior edge of the orifice, a 
six-inch shell of the kind here described holding 
about half a pound. The fuse fitted into the orifice 
is a recent Belgian invention, made of pewter, ami 
resembles the screw-cap used for the patent fruit- 
cans. An examination of this pewter cap shows, 
however, that it is made of two hollow discs of metal 
screwed together, and filled with meal powder. A 
number of fine holes are drilled in the lower disc, 
while the enter disc is entire, and marked with fig¬ 
ures In a circle, 1, 2, 3, 4, In this state the shell is 
water and weather-proof. When token for use, the 
gunner, by means of a small steel Instrument, scoops 
out a portion or the outer soft tnctal surface, and 
lays bare the charge of composition powder below it. 
If the shell is desired to explode in one second after 
leaving the gun, the scooping is made on the figure 
1; if in two seconds, on the figure 2, and so on—the 
idea being that the shells of this description shall 
first strike the object aimed at and do execution as a 
ball, and then explode, sending the bullets forward 
as if from another cannon located at the point 
where the flight of the shell is arrested. Large 
shells of eight or ten inches are filled with powder 
only, and, bursting, do execution by meanB of tbeir 
fragments. These large shells are generally fired by 
means of a-fuse of meal powder, extending through 
a brass ping screwed into the mouth of the Bhell. 
In both cases the fu3e is fired by the ignition of tbe 
charge in the gun. 
ROCHESTER, N. Y., JUNE 8, 1861 
THE WAR’S PROGRESS 
FACTS, SCENES, INCIDENTS, IiTI'C 
Chrsaprake liny— Ir* Rivers and Cities, 
Tiik entrance of Chesapeake Bay, between Capes 
Henry and Charles, affords a channel for the largest 
vessels, of about eight nautical miles in width. The 
bay lies between tbe parallels of 2r«'* 55' and 39' 1(V 
North latitude, a distance of 190 statute miles. The 
shores of the Chesapeake are deeply indented, afford¬ 
ing numerous harbors and roadsteads, in which the 
heaviest, ships can find anchorage. The bay receives 
several noble rivers into which the tide sots for long 
distances, affording excellent navigation for steamers 
and sea craft far into the Interior. After making the 
entrance to the Chesapeake, Hampton roads opens to 
the right, a broad estuary with a deep channel a mile 
and a half in width at its narrowest point. Eight 
miles from the buoy which marks the entrance to the 
roads, on the north side of the channel, is Old Point 
Comfort, on which is Fortress Monroe, whose guus 
command the channel. 
Fortress Monhob.— This fortress is the largest, 
and one of the best constructed in the United 
States. It was built, like all the coast forts, for 
defence against a foe approaching from the sea, and 
is casemated only on the side facing the channel, 
having simple wall - masonry only to landward. 
Against an attacking force from that quarter it will 
need protecting out-works. Its walls inclose a parade 
ground of about seventy acres, making it an admira¬ 
ble school for recently recruited regiments. Oppo¬ 
site the fort, in the channel, distant about a mile and 
a third, are the walls of a small fortification, com¬ 
menced by Govornmont but not finished, called the 
Rip RapB. The foundation has been laid, and rude, 
uueemeuted walls erected with the intention of allow¬ 
ing the base to settle properly before building the 
structure. As the Columbiads at Monroe could 
sweep the frail walls into ruin at the first half dozen 
shots, there is little probability of the rebels attempt¬ 
ing to occupy it. It might, be of some sorvice to our 
troops as an out-work. 
Further up thu roads, and four miles in a right 
line, across Westerly from Fortress Monroe, is Cas¬ 
well’s (Sewall’s) Point, where the rebels have 
attempted to erect batteries. At this point, to ttie 
South, Opens Elizabeth channel, ti>o io 
Norfolk harbor. Fortlflations at Caswell’s Point, 
although too far distant t.o threaten Fortress Monroe, 
would effectually guard this entrance. Elizabeth 
channel, from its opening into Hampton roads to the 
city of Norfolk, is eigtit miles long, direct in its 
course, very deep and scarcely a quarter of a 
mile in width. Craney Island lies close to the chan¬ 
nel on the West side, about three miles from Norfolk, 
on which are the remains of an old fort, which the 
secessionists are rebuilding.’’'Nearer to tile city, on 
the other bank of the channel, is Fort Norfolk, also 
being improved and mounted with ordnance by the 
rebels. 
Norfolk and its Suburbs.— The city of Norfolk, 
located upon an almost level site, presents but few 
natural defences against an attacking force. The 
city and Portsmouth, lying opposite, can bo ap¬ 
proached from several points. Troops could be 
landed from the Hampton or Lynn Haven road* 
within seven miles of the city; the approaches being 
easy and indefensible. An approach could be made 
from Loudon bridge on the south, with an easy 
march of ten miles. 
Norfolk is important for its railroad connections; 
as the location of a navy yard, whose dry dock and 
machine shops are proving useful to the rebels, and 
as the Chesapeake terminus of the Dismal Swamp 
canal, throngh whic hpasses the commerce of Alber- 
marie and Pamlico sounds. Into Hampton roads 
empties the James river, a large stream affected Gy 
the tide one hundred miles from its month, at which 
point the falls and rapids, with a descent of oue 
hundred feet in two miles, effectually block further 
navigation, giving, at the same time, an unlimited 
water power. 
At this point is situated the city of Richmond, 
beautifully built on several elevations, the moat 
noted of which are Ehockhoe and Richmond hills, 
between which Hows Sbookhoe creek. The city is 
handsomely built, the streets intersecting at right 
angles. On Sbookhoe bill are the Capitol and other 
prominent public buildings,'{and about them are 
clustered the aristocratic mansions of the city. Ves¬ 
sels drawing ten feet of water fasten to the wharf at 
Richmond, and those drawing fifteen approach 
within three mile* of the city. Lines of steamers, 
before the secession difficulties, connected Richmond 
commercially with New York, Philadelphia, Norfolk, 
and Baltimore. Richmond has been the great wheat 
depot of Virginia, which its mills have converted 
into flour, the larger part of which found a market in 
the Northern cities. 
Railroads from Richmond. — Five lines of rail¬ 
road diverge from Richmond. One lino running due 
north passes Fredericksburg on the Rappahannock, 
and terminates at Aqnta creek, near the Potomac. 
A line running east terminates at Whitebouse, on the 
York river. A third line runs due south to Wilming¬ 
ton, North Carolina, having intermediate stations at 
Petersburg, Virginia, and Weldon, North Carolina. 
The Richmond and Danville railroad extends In a 
southwest direction to the latter town, near the North 
Carolina boundary line, beyond which it is unfinished. 
The Virginia Central ruii9 nearly west, being finished 
as far as Covington, beyond the blue ridge. At Gor- 
dousvllle it forms a junction with the Grange and 
Alexandria road running northeast, and Lynchburg 
road running southwest. This is thus the military as 
well a* the commercial center of the State, and a 
point of great strategic importance. 
Tiik Rivbk.— From the buoy at the entrance of 
Hampton roads to the light ship at the mouth of 
York river, the distance is about fifteen miles. From 
its source at the junction of the Pamunky and Matta- 
Kxn-ncix from Hie Southern Prens. 
Pickens to he Taken with Rkd Pkithii. - A 
chivalrous secessionist in the Mobile Register, has a 
novel plan for capturing Fort Pickens. Ho says: 
It Is well known that there are some chemicals so 
poisonous that an atmosphere impregnated with them 
makes It impossible to remain where they are, as 
thev W/ijild destroy * J4 lutwifvlt: mui/U Hli 
respiration as to make fresh air Indispensable. That 
the whole atmosphere of Fort Pickens can be so im¬ 
pregnated in a short time, can bo shown to be by no 
means chimerical;— not only not chimerical but easily 
effected. It will not cost so much as to be Impracti¬ 
cable, and may cost infinitely less than a regular 
siege, not only in money, hut life. Everybody al¬ 
most, knows that burning red pepper, even in small 
quantity, a tea-spoonful, will clear the largest room 
of a crowd in a few moments; that the least snuff' of 
veratria will make one cough himself almost to death, 
and run great risk of coughing himself into consump¬ 
tion; that some gases are so poisonous to life that the 
smallest quantity will kill—hydrocyanic acid and 
nraonlurretted hydrogen, for instance. By mixing 
red popper and veratria with the powder with which 
the shells arc filled; or by filling largo shells of ex¬ 
traordinary capacity with poionons gases and throw¬ 
ing them very rapidly iuto the fort, every living soul 
would have to leave in doable-quick time. If the 
bombardment is effected ia a dead calm, the result 
would he certain; and often at Fort Pickens there is 
not a breath of air stirring from daylight until ten 
o'clock lathe morning. 
First Blast of the Northern Bugle. —The New 
Orleans Bee says:—“ We plead guilty to the charge 
of having, in times past, talked confidentially of, and 
trusted implicity in Northern conservatism. The 
fact is, the professed advocates of that particular ism 
expressed themselves habitually so warmly in favor 
of t,lie South, scouted so loftily the Idea of coercion, 
and advocated with so much apparent sincerity a 
system of conciliation and concession, that thousands 
of Southern men were completely deceived. There 
is no doubt whatever that an opinion prevailed among 
us that if Lincoln should attempt to make war upon 
the South, the conservative men of the North would 
overwhelm his Administration, and by timely diver¬ 
sions would extend aid and succor to us. It was 
thought that the thirty thoiisand anti-Lincoln majori¬ 
ty in New York city would act substantially with the 
South, or at all events would exhibit its genuine 
sympathy with that section, by declining to take up 
arms in behalf of the Federal Government. There 
were not wanting among us, too, numbers of shrewd 
and experienced citizens who calculated largely 
upon the commercial ties and identity of interests 
between the South aud West, and who believed that 
ultimately Ohio, Indiana, and other States in that 
quarter, would bo glad to unite their destinies with 
those of a Southern Confederacy. How the first blast 
of the Northern bugle has blown away these bubbles 
of the imagination.” 
A Missourian Convinced. —The St. Louis papers 
publish a long letter from Thomas Allen, an old resi¬ 
dent of that city, who expresses his views of the rela¬ 
tions of the Government to Missouri, in this sensible 
way: 
“ I am convinced, by frequent intercourse, North 
and East, that the officer?, and troops of the Federal 
Government now In the field, did not go into It with 
any purpose of making war upon slaveholding, and 
some proof of that is furnished by the action of one 
or two Northern Generals in Muryland, who returned 
fugitives to their masters, and also offered to aid in 
suppressing a negro insurrection: but I am obliged 
to believe that the friends of the Union have (tone into 
the war with the sole purpose of defending the Govern¬ 
ment, upholding the American flag, preserving the 
Union, and enforcing obedience to the laws. If the 
Union is to be dissolved, they say, let it be done ac¬ 
cording to the forms prescribed by the Constitution, 
and not by violence. And they also say, that unless 
the approaching Congress intervenes another mode 
of adjustment, when the flag of the Federal Union 
COL. ELMER, E. ELLSWORTH 
a thousand firemen volunteered. Ten companies 
were accepted, the regiment was formed, aud they 
received orders to repair t,o V.’ushington. Hince they 
were mustered into actual service, there has been but 
otic opinion of tlieir value and effectiveness. _ Devoted 
to their gallant commander, whose personal qualities 
were as winning as his military genius was remarka¬ 
ble, his death has been the occasion to them of over¬ 
whelming grief, that can only be appeased by their 
share in the triumph which Ills cowardly assassina¬ 
tion will not permit him to witness. 
Col. Ellsworth was a man of exemplary moral 
habits, and a model of temperance und integrity. It 
is said that he never tasted a drop of liquor, nor 
smoked a cigar ill bis life. At the time of Us mar¬ 
tyr’s deatli, he was engaged to be married to Miss 
Sr afford, an estimable young lady of Rockford, Ill. 
Tn this connection we give a copy of the last letter 
written, by the Colonel, except ono to his affianced, 
written at the same time, just before marching on 
Alexandria. 
HkadcjCaiitkus 1st Zooavrs, Camp Lincoln, \ 
WAiSitiKOToM, D. C., May 23d, 1801. 
My Dear Father and Mother: The regiment is 
ordered to move across the river to-night. We have 
no means of knowing what reception we are to meet 
with. I am inclined to the opinion that •ur entrance 
to the City of Alexandria will bo hotly contested, as 
I am just informed a large force have arrived there 
to day. Should this happen, my dear parents, it may 
he my lot to be Injured in some manner. Whatever 
may happen, cherish the consolation that I was en¬ 
gaged in the performance of a sacred duty; and 
to-night, thinking over the probabilities of the mor¬ 
row, anil the occurrences of the past, I am perfectly 
content to accept whatever my fortune may be, confi¬ 
dent that He who knowcih even the’fall of a sparrow 
will have some purpose, even In the fate of one like 
me. My darling and ever-loved parentB, good-bye; 
God bless, protect, and care for you. Elmer. 
A large number of incorrect, accounts are given to 
the public as to the manner in which Col. Ellsworth 
met his untimely fate. We give the version of Frank 
E. Brownell, who killed the assassin, Jackson. 
JuBt as the party were descending the stairs, after 
having pulled down the odious secession flag, they 
met Jackson, the proprietor of the hotel, at the foot 
of the staircase. The stairs were winding or cylin¬ 
drical, and the turn was so abrupt that Frank, who 
was in the lead, was directly upon Jackson before 
either party was aware of each other’s presence. 
Jackson immediately raised his gun, —a doable bar¬ 
relled shot gun, loaded with slugs,— to lire, and 
Frank as quickly drew up his weapon and knocked 
his adversary’s piece downwards. Jackson slipped 
out his guu, and drawing it up quickly tired at 
Ellsworth. Frank as quickly shot Jackson, —so 
quickly, indeed, that the two reports were mingled 
into one. Jackson fired both barrels of his gun 
almost simultaneously,—the last charge passing 
directly beside Frank’s head, and passing opposite 
into tbe wall. Brownell was so close upon his 
adversary, that the powder from the shot gun severely 
burned as well as discolored bis face. Frank bay* 
onetted the murderer in an instant, and pitched him 
back into the hall,— Jackson being dead before ho 
touched the floor even. I.LL8 WORTH merely articu¬ 
lated "My God,” and fell a corpse. 
The party of Zouaves which accompanied Ells¬ 
worth, numbered only seven. As soon as the affair 
transpired and the report of the guns was heard, the 
passage way leading to the stairs was filled with 
boarders in the hotel, bat as they rushed out wild 
with excitement, the Zouaves were able to take them 
prisoners and hold them in check. As fast as one 
appeared, a rifle was aimed at him, aud all surren¬ 
dered at discretion. The party were thus able to 
intimidate the rebels nearly fifteen minutes, until 
additional succor arrived. Brownell speaks of the 
TnE entire country was electrified by th® tolo- 
graphic announcement on Friday, the 24th ult., of 
the cowurdly and brutal assassination of Col. Ells¬ 
worth, of the New York Fire Zouaves, by a hotel 
keeper in Alexandria, Va. It Is spfe to say that no 
young mau has been so prominently before the 
American people during the past twelve months, and 
the death of none will arouse so fierce a feeling 
toward the rebels,— a feeling that can Ire sated, 
under existing circumstances, only by a fearful 
revenge. His course of life has been marked by so 
many peculiarities, and his death so sudden and 
bitter, that we aro warranted in presenting our 
readers with a brief biography and portrait. 
Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth was born in Malta, Sar¬ 
atoga county, N. Y., in 1838, where his bereaved 
parents aro now living, and although lie bad attained 
so prominent a position in our military service, was 
yet in early youth at. the time of Ills death, having 
scarcely completed the twenty-seventh year of his 
age. He entered the military school at West Point, 
where he was initiated into the rudiments of the art 
of war, and cultivated the passion for arms which, 
until within a recent period, had found no oppor¬ 
tunity for its practical exercise. For the last few 
years he had been a resident of Chicago, where he 
was engaged in the practice of law, but was distin¬ 
guished for his love of military affairs and his 
remarkable zeal and efficiency as an officer and dis¬ 
ciplinarian. Previous to his entering the service of 
the United states, with his regiment of New York 
Zouaves, he held the office of Quartermaster of the 
Northern Division of Illinois, and Paymaster-General 
of the militia of that State. His first company of 
Zouaves was formed in Chicago in the Spring of 1859, 
and soon became fatuous for their admirable drill 
and wonderful feats of activity. Iu the course of a 
year, their peculiar tactics had excited so much 
attention that a strong desire was expressed that they 
should visit, the East, and accordingly, in July, iHliO, 
they left Chicago lbr a military tour to the cities of 
the seaboard. 
The trip of the Illinois Zouaves is so fresh in the 
minds of our readers, it is only necessary to remark 
tlieir whole journey was an ovation, and military 
men were dumbfounded at the skill and precision of 
these erratic soldiers. On his return home t he young 
Colonel was much feted Ly his fellow-citizens, and 
Zouave companies sprang into existence throughout 
the country. 
Among other persons who paid him marked atten¬ 
tion was Mr. Lincoln, then a candidate for the Presi¬ 
dency. After the election Mr. Lincoln signified his 
intention of attaching Col. Ellsworth to his person; 
and when, iu February last, he departed on his jour¬ 
ney to Washington. Colonel E. was invited to form 
one of bis escort. He was. the reporters tell us, oue 
of the most useful of the party, ever watchful of Mr. 
Lincoln’s person, and always in good temper and 
ready for any thing that could render the journey 
pleasant. For some time after the accession of Mr. 
Lincoln it was generally supposed that Ellsworth 
would be tendered a position iu the War Department, 
aud it is understood that his claims were urged by 
Gen. Sumner, but it ia not likely that he desired any 
such post. On the outbreak of the war he sought 
active service. And having had an opportunity of 
judging what excellent material for soldiers was con¬ 
tained in the N’ew York Fire Department, he be¬ 
thought himself of forming out. of them a Zouave 
Regiment. The idea was a happy one. The firemen, 
brave as steel, would be restive under the stiff 
restraints of light infantry tactics, whereas the com¬ 
parative freedom and dash of the Zouave drill suited 
them exactly. In the course of a couple of days over 
THE CHAMELEON 
An officer in Africa thus writes of the habits of this 
animal:—*" As some of the habits of the chameleon 
may not be generally knowu, I will mention a few 
which came under my observation. One morning, I 
saw close to my tent, a very large chameleon, hang¬ 
ing on a bush. I immediately secured him, and pro¬ 
vided a box for him. In the course of a few days he 
became quite familiar, and having seen them before, 
I knew how to gain his affections, which, in the first 
place, was done by feeding him well, and, in the next 
place, by scratching his back with a feather. 1 used 
to put.him on my table at breakfast, and in the 
course of a very minutes I have seen him devour at 
least fifty flies, catching them in the most dexterous 
manner, with his long, slimy tongue; uor does he 
ever move from his position, but so sure as an unfor¬ 
tunate fly comes in reach, so sure he is caught, and 
with the rapidity of thought. In the forenoon I always 
gave him a large slice of bread, which lie devoured, 
aud he generally snipped ou as many flies as he could 
manage to entrap, setting at defiance the ’noble 
Hamlet’s" theory of the chameleon’s death. Brom¬ 
ic 9 would not have suited him at all, being at the 
end of each day considerably more like a crammed 
capon than an air-fed chameleon. It is not true that 
tiiis animal will change color according to what he 
is put on; but be will change shade according as he 
is pleased or displeased. His general hue is a bright 
green, with small gold spots over bis body; lie re¬ 
mains at this shade when he is highly pleased, bv 
being in the sun, or being fed, or scratched, which 
lie delights in. When angry—and he is easily made 
so—his hue changes to a dusky green, almost block, 
and the gold spots are not to be seen: but! never 
could perceive any other color on his body but green 
iu a variety of shades. The spots enlarge very much 
htUai.. L * 
jut in general they are merely little yellow spots here 
and there, on the back and sides.” 
Thk wise carry their knowledge as they do their 
watches — not for disDlav. but for th® ir nwn nan. 
