. Sketches of the natural history of Ceylon : with narratives and anecdotes illustrative of the habits and instincts of the mammalia, birds, reptiles, fishes, insects, &c. : including a monograph of the elephant and a description of the modes of capturing and training it with engravings from original drawings . brown, but when excited its back becomes a rich olivegreen, leaving the head yellowish : the underside of thebody is of a very pale blue, almost approaching open mouth exhibits the fauces of an intense ver-milion tint; so that, although extremely handsome,this lizard presents,
. Sketches of the natural history of Ceylon : with narratives and anecdotes illustrative of the habits and instincts of the mammalia, birds, reptiles, fishes, insects, &c. : including a monograph of the elephant and a description of the modes of capturing and training it with engravings from original drawings . brown, but when excited its back becomes a rich olivegreen, leaving the head yellowish : the underside of thebody is of a very pale blue, almost approaching open mouth exhibits the fauces of an intense ver-milion tint; so that, although extremely handsome,this lizard presents, from its extraordinarily shapedhead and threatening gestures, a most malignant is, however, perfectly harmless. Chameleon. — The true chameleon^ is found, but notin great numbers, in the dry districts to the north ofCeylon, where it frequents the trees, in slow pursuit ofits insect prey; but compensated for the sluggishnessof its other movements, by the electric rapidity of itsextensible tongue. Apparently sluggish in its generalhabits, the chameleon rests motionless on a branch,from which its varied hues render it scarcely distin-guishable in colour; and there patiently awaits the ap-proach of the insects on which it feeds. Instantly ontheir appearance its wonderful tongue comes into TONGUE OF CHAMELEON. Though ordinarily concealed, it is capable of protrusiontill it exceeds in length the whole body of the sooner does an incautious fly venture within reach Cliameleo vul<iaris. Baud. Chap. IX.] CERATOPHOEA. 279 than the extremity of this treacherous weapon isdisclosed, broad and cuneiform, and covered with aviscid fluid; and this, extended to its full length, isdarted at its prey with an unerring aim, and redrawnwithin the jaws with a rapidity that renders the actalmost invisible.^ WTiilst the faculty of this creature to assume all thecolours of the rainbow has attracted the v/onder of allages, sufficient attention has hardly been given to the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookde, booksubjectelephants, booksubjectzoology
