J. Fitzgerald

“ When preying on winged insects, the chameleon is seen occasionally to protrude the knobbed end of his tongue, and in an instant that member is shot forth and again retracted, bearing the prey into the captor's mouth. The extremity of the tongue exudes a sticky substance on which the prey is caught. When flies and other winged insects are not to be had, the chameleon's swivel-eyes scan the trunk of the tree, and the branches above, below, and on all sides around, to see if any creeping thing may be caught. ”

“ The immobility of the chameleon distinguishes it markedly from the rest of the lizard tribe, which are generally active and quick in their movements. Alfred Brehm, who received as a present from the African explorer, Schweinfurth, a number of these animals, states that the chameleon never moves at all except from necessity; it will remain in one position on a branch or twig for hours at a time, firmly grasping with tail and paws the object on which it is perched. The eyes, on the contrary, are nearly always in motion. ”

“ When the coloring-liquid is all retained in these vesicles, the animal's skin appears yellowish, that being the color of the semi-transparent epidermis. When the liquid is injected into the ducts, the color of the animal changes, the tint depending on the degree of tension in the ducts. If a nerve be cut, the region of the chameleon's body to which that nerve was distributed becomes at once a deep black, and no more color-changes occur over that area. If a piece of the skin be placed under a microscope, it will appear black. ”

“ The head is angular, rising into a pyramidal occiput. The eyeball is very large, protruding, covered with a single lid, which has a minute aperture in the centre for the very small pupil. There is no external ear. The tongue is extensible to the length of half the total length of the animal, that is, from five to seven inches. The lungs are large, and connect with air-cells underlying the skin. The neck is so short as to prevent the head being turned from side to side. Though the chameleon is arboreal in
Chameleon—Tongue of Chameleon. ”

“ Thus, if he would change from his normal position of absolute quietude—his belly resting on an horizontal branch, which he grasps as firmly as he can with all five hands (for his tail is a fifth hand) —he first advances one of the fore-paws one step; then the tail is relaxed, advanced an equal distance, and again coiled tight; next the other feet are advanced a step, one after another ”