tion of its tongue, that it can dart it out, and by means of the viscid fluid with which it is supplied, unerringly secure them.

Another peculiarity of the chameleon is, the capacious size of its lungs, into which it can at pleasure inhale a large quantity of air, thus distending its skin till it becomes almost transparent. This singular property-the purpose which it serves in its economy is yet undiscovered-is probably the foundation of the report, that the chameleon feeds upon air. It certainly can, however, live a very long time without food. Hasselquist kept one for twenty-four days without affording it an opportunity of taking any sustenance; yet it was nimble and lively during the whole time, climbing up and down its cage, fond of being near the light, and constantly rolling its eyes. "I could, however, at last plainly perceive that it waxed lean, and suffered from hunger; at length, through weakness, it fell from its cage upon the floor, when a turtle that was in the room bit it and hastened its death."

The chameleon inhabits trees, and, from the nature of its feet, is not at all adapted for moving

about on the ground. It generally takes up its station on some retired branch, and watches the approach of insects with the most exemplary assiduity; and so still is it on these occasions that it might be supposed dead but for the rapid and unceasing motion of its eyes. When a fly approaches within reach, it darts out its tongue and retracts it so instantaneously as to be imperceptible, and seldom fails to secure its victim. It is only when alarmed and excited that they inflate their bodies; at other times they are generally very lank and unsightly creatures.

Another of the fabled qualities of the chameleon consists in its reputed power of being able to change its colour, and to assume that of the surface on which it rests. This also is a mistake. In its natural state the colour of the animal is whitish-yellow; but when it is excited, and its skin distended, and thus rendered almost transparent, the colour of the blood, which is violet blue, appears through it, and makes the animal assume a sort of greenish hue, which varies in intensity as it happens to be more or less excited. In some it occasionally assumes a black colour,

but the general hue varies between white and blue. Mr. Forbes, in his "Oriental Memoirs," speaks of one which he kept for several weeks, which was singularly affected by anything black. It carefully avoided the skirting of the room, which was of that colour; but if a black hat was put in its way it shrunk back and became of a jet-black colour.

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