Glimpses of the animate world; or, Science and literature of natural history, for school and home . how-ever, has a real existence ; and, after fiction and fable arebrushed aside, a very curious creature indeed remains. Itbelongs to the Saurian order (lizards). The genus GJtamceleoembraces about twenty species, none of them one exception, the common chameleon, which is natu-ralized in Southern Spain and in Sicily, these animals arefound only in the warmer parts of Africa and Asia. 158 NATURAL HISTORY READER. 2. The chameleon is from ten to fifteen inches in length,whereof one hal
Glimpses of the animate world; or, Science and literature of natural history, for school and home . how-ever, has a real existence ; and, after fiction and fable arebrushed aside, a very curious creature indeed remains. Itbelongs to the Saurian order (lizards). The genus GJtamceleoembraces about twenty species, none of them one exception, the common chameleon, which is natu-ralized in Southern Spain and in Sicily, these animals arefound only in the warmer parts of Africa and Asia. 158 NATURAL HISTORY READER. 2. The chameleon is from ten to fifteen inches in length,whereof one half is represented by the prehensile tail. Thebody is roughly pyramidal in shape ; the skin is coveredwith papillous elevations instead of scales, and these, insome of the species, assume the shape of spiny processesalong the ridge of the back and the median line of thechest and belly. The toes, five in number, are divided intotwo opposable sets of two and three, the toes of each setbeing webbed down to the claws, which are long and head is angular, rising into a pyramidal occiput. The. T?ie Chameleon. eyeball is very large, protruding, covered with a single lid,which has a minute aperture in the center for the verysmall pupil. There is no external ear. 3. The tongue is extensible to the length of half of thetotal length of the animal—that is, from five to seven lungs are large, and connect with air-cells underlyingthe skin. The neck is so short as to prevent the head be-ing turned from side to side. Though the chameleon isarboreal in its habits, it is very slow in its movements. Itis unprovided with any weapons of defense against its ene- CURIOUS DWELLERS OF SWAMP AND FOREST. 159 niics. The female lays about thirty eggs, which are de-posited in a hollow in the ground, and covered with looseearth. 4. The immobility of the chameleon distinguishes itmarkedly from the rest of the lizard tribe, which are gen-erally active and quick in their movements. Alfred Br
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