observed also, lihat the oqewhiejh ,fhe Pqctor .describes,be §M%t WQ&
likewise preserved in spirits.
33d* rllc^pifti, ip ^ ^ r a v (e]s in Egypt, h^s given & recent descr^pr
tiop ,<?f ^be I^yptfan jCpnjqfqqnbuft frpjm hi? ^cpd,1JjQt jt f # 0
eencluded that t^e 4 f#^rican q^njeleop is jpqre sj^adar ip
ptiQb ^fric^p.
The American c§tmpl£qp, or as it ^ .caded Agamma, is
distinct -from the A|ijcpii in its -s^ape, by d\e back part qf the hpad
not running, into a point, and its tongue being short and thic|y The
body ^ in leng)^ §bpV%gi^ jpnhe§»j»odii^ t§d vafec-ve pjne :: it is in
shape rnucb like a copopiop lj^ai'd, bqft hag a bag which extends
from the upder jaw to its throat, .anji] jg&dch it. fepn draw up at pleasure.
This cameleon is pot possessed of tbo^e ff-pid pipd.O.Wvfl9F"
flight as most qf the ptijer species pjP lizards pfe, and for tfiatyeason
nature ^ems to liaye bc^tjQWCd pp it tbe wnftderfpl power of phang-
ing i|s cplour to ay aid and deceiyp it£ enemy; and therefore brown
and gpepnare thp pptqurs oi^he ippstdpipo.rtppce to i t ; fjh® first, that
it napy lie secure on tlje bark qfihpij^pSj-and die second», ^mdpg -d-e
leaves. Jx possesses those two polpWS with pjl |]^bypiegated^h|ides
ip t^e highest degree of perfection. I haye §epp itoften while getting
pp thp free in a dark brpjyp, and 3s S9PU PS it got up tp |hp
branches it assumed the papst lively grpep. d.-bjiyP. tried fhij* '0-
pyp’n bouse fopfope fjrpperal A’^rbw-f, blev. Mr. W-rA sjffi
J G—l, and many other geptlpjpen, w,h° 4<9P)Ae4 fhis extraordinary
poorer of the capieleop, We have put the creature pn a green uny-
brpl|a, and pfter it had assumed tb $ cofeur, we Jef if down op the
the door, which is made oft^e dark br.oWP b°dp frep, apd it in ^ e -
diately changed to that parh cojpur. If eJiaPges jnost rapjdly wh^n
pewly tpken^ as by its ieprs jt seems then fP ftpfjy? 19 hide
, itself. W j^n approached if endeavours t° b Is
said, that the bite of $4$ PFPdqcef ipd^PRW^dpp^FhPPph the
teeth are very small | the |greatest difficulty -is to* make it take
any nourishment in a state of confinement. All the. insects which
I left with them for their food they constantly refused. Whenever
thecamelefon is touched it hisses like a snake,, and tries to bite ; but
I thonght of'profiting by its anger* for after I had put it into
a rage I presented to its mouth, in a pair Of pincers, a spider, at
which it bit with the greatest fierceness, and haying onçe had the
taste oh its tongue, it seemed unable to resist the temptation, but
sweilé^d the whole inSedt^ Ih this madper I havi^kept two caméléons
above a-year* and they never would eat in any other way than
being fed by this method.
I f the ancients in stating that the caméléons lived on nothing but
air, had said they can remain a long time without taking anything
but air, they won Id have been more in the right. When I made a
tour in the country-1 recommended ffiyCoMeetiou of diving animals,
to the careof my landlady; but sfee declared that though she would
pay the greatest attention to all the >mhersj dhe could not do it to
the agammas or caméléons, being too much afraid of thèm ; and as
i could get no other person to undertake the office, after putting
some insects into their cage, I left -the further care of them to
themselves ; but though I was moré than three weeks absent from
home^T found the insectS ndt eaten, and the ^caméléons in appearance
as well as before. The long time they cari abstain from taking
food, seems to arise from the little nourishment which they, in common
with all cold-blooded animals, comparatively require, thus
idsihg no strongthby perspiration. But as the camdeon is ;a particularly
slow animal, and livingupon ftyiftg ipsëfets which it is hot
always able tö catch, nature seems to have given it great command
over t;he-organs of digestion ; when for Some time it has had no nourishment,
I coifld then observé’bÀffhe lea^t moifidri in those parts
whéfè ffigestioh is pëfFórmed, :büf<âs sdmr%S if ‘Swallöked3^ ffiseCt
its sides began to beat regularly ; these parts, therefore,- seem to be,
Y