Page:Natural History, Reptiles.djvu/83

Rh from black to yellow, the soles of its feet, its head, and the bag under its throat, were the first tinged; and then by degrees that colour spread over the rest of the body. He several times saw it marked with large spots of both colours all over its body, which gave it an elegant appearance. When it became of an iron-grey it dilated its skin, and became plump and handsome; but as soon as it turned yellow, it contracted itself, and appeared empty, lean, and ugly; and the nearer it approached in colour to white, the more empty and ugly it appeared; but its shape was always the most unpleasant when it was speckled. Mr. Hasselquist kept a Chameleon for nearly a month. During the whole time it was very lively, climbing up and down its cage, fond of being near the light; and constantly rolling about its large eyes. It took no food during the whole of this time, so that it became lean, and evidently suffered from hunger. At length, through weakness, it fell from its cage upon the floor, when a turtle that was in the same room, bit it, and hastened its death.

M. d'Obsonville's account differs somewhat from the above, and he considers that he has discovered the secret cause of the changes in the blood. "The colour of the Chameleon," he observes, "is naturally green; but it is susceptible of many shades, and particularly of three very distinct ones; Saxon green, deep green, and a shade bordering on blue and yellow green. When free, in health, and at ease, it is of a beautiful green; some parts excepted, where the skin being thicker and more rough, produces gradations of brown, red, or light grey. When the animal is provoked