L A C E R T A, 
the claws are flieathed or retractile ; the tail is of fimilar 
form to that of the gecko, but appears to be liable to a fin- 
gular variation, in which it is remarkably fwelled immedi¬ 
ately beyond its origin, and gradually tapers again to the 
extremity, fo as to referable the form of a young turnip- 
root ; being Ihorter than the body itlelf. Mr. Schneider 
names it the perfoliated gecko, from the appearance ot the 
under furfaceof the feet, the lamellae ot which, being tra- 
verfed by a longitudinal midrib, reprefent in tome degree 
the ItruCture of the leaves in a perfoliate plant. The colour 
of this fpecies is cinereous, clouded or marbled with brown. 
44. Lacerta fimbriata, the fimbriated lizard: a membra¬ 
naceous fimbriated border on each lide of the body ; tail 
flat; lamella of the feet divided by a furrow. This re¬ 
markable lpecies feems to have been firft deferibed by Ce- 
pede, who informs us that it appears in fome degree to 
conned the chameleon, the gecko, and the water-newts ; 
the head, fkin, and general form of the body, relembling 
thole of the chameleon; the tail that of the water-newts, 
being of acomprelfed form, though in a different manner, 
(not vertically but horizontally flattened ;) while the feet 
refemble thole of the gecko. The largeft fpecimen exa¬ 
mined by Cepede meafured about eight inches and fix 
lines in length, of which the tail meafured two inches and 
four lines. The head is very large, and much flattened ; 
the eyes large; the opening of the mouth wide; the teeth 
very final 1 and numerous, and the tongue broad, divided, 
and refembling that of the gecko ; the lower jaw is fo thin 
or flat, that one would at firft imagine the lower part of 
the head to be wanting; the outline of the whole head, 
viewed from above, is almoft triangular, as in the chame¬ 
leon ; but the triangle is of a much longer form, and 
without any riling caique or creft as in that animal; the 
body is about twice the length of the head, and is bor¬ 
dered by a membrane or prolongation of the Ikin, which, 
commencing on each fide the head, is continued along 
thofe of the body, forming a kind of fringed or fimbriated 
procefs, which all'o pafles down each leg, feparating the 
upper furface from the lower; the tail, which, as before 
©blerved, is much Ihorter than the body, is fo formed as 
to refemble, in fome degree, the lhape of an oar, being 
expanded into a wide membranaceous part on each fide; 
the true tail, or middle part, being taper and fmall; the 
legs are rather fliort; the feet divided into five toes, con¬ 
nected at their origin by the Ikin of the legs, but much 
divided and expanded at their tips, and are all furnilhed 
beneath with a number of tranfvetle lamellae. The ikin 
on all parts refembles that of the chameleon, being co¬ 
vered with fmall protuberances, fo as togiveit al'omewhat 
lhagreen-like appearance. 
The colour of this animal is not conftant or permanent, as 
in molt lizards, but variable like the chameleon, prefenting 
fucceffively different lhades of red, yellow, green, and blue. 
This variation of colour is, however, confined to the up¬ 
per furface of the animal; the lower always continuing of 
a bright yellow. Thefe changes, we are informed, have 
been obferved in the living animal by Monf. Bruyeres in 
its native country, viz. Madagafcar, where it is not very 
uncommon, and where, though a harmlefs animal, it is 
held in great abhorrence by the natives, who coniider it 
as of a poifonous nature, and fly from it with precipita¬ 
tion ; pretending that it darts on their breaft, and adheres 
with fuch force by its fringed membrane, that it cannot 
be feparated from the fkin without the afliftance of a rai- 
zor. The principal caufe of this popular dread of the 
animal, is its habit of running open-mouthed towards the 
fpeCtator, inftead of attempting to efcape when difeovered. 
Its chief refidence is on the branches of trees, where it 
lives on infeCts, holding itlelf fecureby coiling its tail, fhort 
as it is, half round the twig on which it fits. It chiefly ap¬ 
pears in rainy weather, when it moves with confiderable 
agility, often fpringing from bough to bough. On the 
ground it walks but (lowly, the fore legs being Ihorter 
than the hinder. 
51 
VII. Five toes on each foot, but fame of them connected ; tail 
Jhort, mojlly round and incurved. 
45. Lacerta chamseleon, the chameleon. Specific cha¬ 
racter, head flat, body cinereous; toes joined by two and 
three. Few animals have been more celebrated by poets 
and hiftorians than the chameleon, which has been 1'ome- 
tiines faid to poifefs the power of changing its colour at 
pleafure, and of afiimilating it to that of any particular 
objeCt or fituation. This, however, mull be received with 
very great limitations; the change of colour which the 
animal exhibits varying in degree, according to circum- 
ftances of health, temperature of the weather, and many 
other caufes, and confiding chiefly in a fort of alteration 
of fliades from the natural greenifh or bluifli grey of the 
fkin into pale yellowifli, with irregular fpots or patches of 
dull red; but not juftifying the application of the Ovidian 
diftich: 
Non mihi tot cultus numero comprendere fas ejl; 
Adjicit ornatus proximo quaque dies. 
No numbers can the varying robe exprefs, 
While each new day prefents a different drefs. 
The chameleon of the poets certainly never exifted in na¬ 
ture ; but it may and will always exift as the creature of 
genius and fancy. After throwing away all the fabulous 
qualities that have been attributed to the chameleon, 
when we fhall have deferibed it fuch as it really is, it will 
ftill deferve to be confidered as one of the moft interefting 
animals to naturalilts ; by the lingular conformation of its 
various organs, by the remarkable habits which depend on 
thefe, and even by its extraordinary real properties, which 
are not extremely different from thofe that have been 
falfely attributed to it by the poets. In the natural hif- 
tory of Pliny, lib. xxviii. cap. 29. may be feen all the chi¬ 
merical virtues attributed to this animal by the ancients ; 
and the fecond book of Gefner contains all tire abfurd fa¬ 
bles that have been publifhed relative to this animal. 
Chameleons are found of various fizes, but are feldom 
above fourteen inches long, of which the tail is feven 
inches ; the length of the legs, including the toes, is 
about three inches. The head is flattened on the top and 
at both fides; two elevated ridges, rifing from the muz¬ 
zle, pafs almoll immediately over each eye, of which they 
follow the curvature, and unite in a point at the back of 
the head, where they are joined by a third that riles from 
the middle of the head, and by two others that reach up¬ 
wards from each corner of the mouth. Seba compares it 
to the cap of a Netherland fiiherman. The whole ikin of 
the chameleon is ftrewed over with little knobs, like {ha- 
green ; thele are extremely frnooth, and more remarkable 
on the head, and are furrounded with minute, and almoft 
imperceptible, grains. A row of fmall pointed and coni¬ 
cal eminences adorns the edge of each of the projecting 
ridges on the head, and fimilar rows extend along the 
back, the tail, and the under fide of the body from the 
muzzle to the anus. The noftrils are placed at the tip of 
the muzzle, which is fomewhat rounded. Thefe noltrils 
mult be of more than ordinary ufe in the refpiration of 
this animal, fince the mouth is frequently fo very accu¬ 
rately clofed, as to render it difficult to perceive the line 
which Jeparates the lips. The brain is extremely fmall, 
feldom exceeding the twelfth part of an inch in diameter. 
The openings ot the ears are either fo fmall as not to be 
perceptible, or they are altogether wanting ; even the in¬ 
ternal organs of hearing are lo minute as to have efcaped 
the obfervation of the gentlemen of the academy, who 
believed that they did not exilt; but M. Camper has 
lately informed us, that he had undoubtedly detected them. 
This circumftance is an additional proof of the flight fen- 
fibility of the organs of hearing in oviparous quadrupeds 
in general, and is, in all probability, one of the caufes 
which produce the appearance of llupidity that has been 
obferved in this fpecies. The mouth is wide, and the 
bones 
