LACERT A. 
55 
prevail again, and by their intermixture with the yellow- 
neCs of the (kin the green will alfo re-appear. Return it 
again into the cold, the blood is withdrawn from the fur- 
face of the (kin inwardly, and thefe colours, which de¬ 
pend on the immediate prefence of the blood, will natu¬ 
rally fade away. Thus it happens alfo, that the colours 
of the chameleon are paleft in the night-time, or in the 
dark, as Gpfonville and Golberry have (liown. The fame 
effeft, and depending on the fame caufes as in the chame¬ 
leon, is alio obfervable in the Lacerta bullaris, with this 
difference only, that the tranfitions of colour are not fo 
decidedly evinced as in the chameleon ; but this latter ani¬ 
mal, which expofed to the funftiine is of a clear green, 
changes to a duiky blackifh green, or yellowith, and in 
the cold to grey blending into brown ; this animal, like 
the chameleon, pofleffing the faculty of impelling its 
blood to the furface of the lkin, or withdrawing it, and 
by that means of varying its tints at pleafure. The fame 
circumffances are to be remarked, but in a (till lefs degree, 
in feveral other animals of the lizard tribe. 
Chameleons have been fometimes brought alive into this 
country. In the year 1780 a fpecimen of this animal was 
kept in a living Itate for fome time in the Apothecaries’ 
Phyfic Garden at Chelfea, which, though in a compara¬ 
tively iickly ftate, exhibited thofe tranfitions of colour 
from bluifh-afti to green, or yellowith fpotted with brown, 
before-mentioned. Several chameleons have been pre- 
ferved alive at different times in Paris. One of thefe af¬ 
forded the French academicians a favourable opportunity 
of inveftigating the manners and ftru&ure of this curious 
animal. The refults of their inquiries are interefting, and 
icrve to throw confiderable light upon the hiftory of the 
chameleon. The following paffages in particular feem to 
merit particular attention. "The colour of all the emi¬ 
nences (fay thofe writers) of our chameleon, when it was 
at reft in the (hade, and had continued a long time un- 
difturbed, was a blui(h grey, except under the feet, where 
it was white inclining to yellow, and the intervals of the 
granules of the (kin were of a pale and yellowifli red. 
This grey, which coloured all the parts expofed to the 
light, changed when in the fun ; and all the places of its 
body which were illuminated, in Head of their bluifli co¬ 
lour, became of a brownifti grey. The reft of the (kin, 
which was not illuminated by the fun, changed its grey 
into feveral bri(k and (Inning colours, forming (pots about 
half a finger’s breadth, reaching from the ere ft of the fpine 
to the middle of the back ; others appeared on the ribs, 
fore legs, and tail. All thefe fpots were of an ifabella co¬ 
lour, through the mixture of a pale yellow, with which 
the granules were tinged, and of a bright red, which is 
the colour of the bottom of the (kin, vifible between the 
granules : the reft of the (kin, not enlightened by the fun, 
and which was of a paler grey than ordinary, refembled 
a cloth made of mixed wool 5 fome of the granules being 
greenifli, others of a minime-grey, and others of the ufual 
bluifli grey, the ground remaining as.before. When the 
fun did not (hine, the firft grey appeared again by little 
and little, and fpread itfelf all over the body, except un¬ 
der the feet, which continued of the fame colour, but a 
little browner ; and, when in this ftate fome of the com¬ 
pany handled it, there immediately appeared on its 
fhoulders and fore legs feveral blackifh (pots about the 
(ize of a finger-nail: thefe were evidently produced by 
fear, for they did not take place when it was handled by 
thofe who ufually took care of it. Sometimes it was 
■marked with brown fpots, which inclined towards green. 
We afterwards wrapped it up in a linen cloth, where hav¬ 
ing been two or three minutes, we took it out whitifti; 
but not fo white as that of which Aldrovandus fpeaks, 
which was not to be diftinguiftied from the linen on which 
it lay. Ours, which had only changed its ordinary grey 
into a very pale one, after having kept this colour (ome 
time, loft it infenfibly. This experiment made us ques¬ 
tion the truth of the chameleon’s taking all colours but 
white, as Theophraftus and Plutarch report; for ours 
Yqi. XII. No. Sio, 
feemed to have fuch a difpofition to retain this colour, 
that it grew pale every night; and when dead it had more 
white than any other colour; nor did we find that it 
changed colour all over the body, as Arillotle reports; 
for when it takes other colours than grey, and ditguil’es 
itfelf to appear in mafquerade, as iElian pleafantly fays, 
it covers only certain parts of the body with them. Laftiv, 
to conclude the experiments relative to the colours which 
the chameleon can take, it was laid on fubftances of va¬ 
rious colours, and wrapped up therein ; but did not take 
them as it had done the white, and it took that only the 
firft time the experiment was made, though it was repeated 
feveral times on different days. In making thefe experi¬ 
ments, we obferved, that there were a great many places 
of its (kin which grew brown, but very little at a time ; 
to be certain of which, we marked, with ('mail fpecks of 
ink, thofe granules which to us appeared the whiteft in 
its pale ftate; and we always found, that when it grew 
browneft, and the (kin fpotted, thofe grains which we had 
marked were always lefs brown than the reft.” It appears 
in other relpedts, that its colour is liable to vary accord¬ 
ing as it is fubjefted to a greater or lefs degree of heat. 
In general, its colours are brighter when it is in motion, 
when it is handled, or when it is expofed to the diredfc 
influence of the fun in thofe warm countries which it in¬ 
habits : they are, on the contrary, confiderably paler when 
it is at reft, when deprived of the fun’s influence, &c. 
Perhaps the whitenefs it affumes after being wrapped up 
in linen or any other fluff, may proceed from its being 
thereby cooled. It becomes paler at night, becaufe the 
evenings are ufually colder. It likewife becomes white 
after death, becaufe then all internal heat and motion are 
extinguilhed. Thus fear, anger, and heat, feem to be 
the caufes of all the changes of colours to which it is 
fubject, and which have given rife to fo many fables. 
This fpecies poffeffes, in a very eminent degree, the 
power of inflating mod parts of its body, l'o as to increafe 
its general (ize, and to give a full round figure to fuch 
parts as are naturally flat and lank. This inflation, or 
blowing up, is produced by flow and irregular efforts; 
and proceeds fometimes to fuch a degree, as to double 
the ufual flaccid (ize of the animal, extending even into 
the feet and tail. The inflation continues fometimes dur¬ 
ing two hours, lelfening a little at times, and increafing 
again, the diminution being always (lower in its progrefs 
than the increafe. The chameleon is often for a great 
while entirely flaccid ; and has then fo complete an ap¬ 
pearance of leannefs, that the ribs, the vertebrae of the 
back, and all the tendons of its legs, may be feen and 
counted with great diltinctnefs. In this ftate, el'pecially 
when it turns round, it feems a mere animated (kin, in- 
clofing a few bones. The power of inflation is pofteffed, 
in a greater or lefs degree, by almoft all the other ovipa¬ 
rous quadrupeds, particularly frogs, hut by all in a much 
inferior degree to the chameleon. The palpitation of the 
heart, in this fpecies, is'often fo extremely feeble, as not 
to be felt on placing the finger direftly oppofite to it. 
The chameleon, like moft other lizards, can live a very- 
long time, fometimes almoft a whole year, without food; 
and it is probably from this circumftance, that (ome au¬ 
thors have fuppofed it to feed entirely' on air. Its mode 
of feeding, by means of the Angular ftrufture of its tongue, 
has been already noticed ; and Haffelquift informs us, 
that he has feen the remains of butterflies and other in¬ 
fers in its ftomach. The chameleon which was kept for 
examination by' the French academicians, occafionally eva¬ 
cuated from its inteftines certain fmall fteny concretions 
of about the (ize of a pea, of an apparently calcareous 
fubftance, and readily diffoiving in vinegar: one of them 
was found to contain in its middle the head of a fly ; fo 
that they muft neceffarily have been formed in the fto¬ 
mach or inteftines of the animal. 
The ftrudhire of the chameleon is not fitted for pro¬ 
ducing any cry or diftindl voice ; but, when frightened, 
it opens its mouth, and makes a kind of hiding noife, like 
P that 
