Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 004.djvu/105

 as before, The Sun ceasing to shine, the first gray return'd by little and little, and being then toucht by one of the company, there appear'd prsently many very black spots on the shouldiers and fore-feet, which hapn'd not, when-he was handled by those that took care of him. Being wrapp'd in white linnen for 2. or 3. minutes, he was taken out whitish, and having kept this colour a while, it vanisht insensibly: which Experience refutes those, who give out, that the Cameleon takes all colors but white. Having put him on divers things of several colours, and wrapt him up in them, he assumed none of their colors, but the white, neither took he this, but the first time of the trials.

Thirdly, the structure and motion of his Eyes, turning two different ways at one and the same time; which yet is not true of the Cameleons of Mexico. Where 'tis observ'd, that the necessity, impos'd by nature on all other animals to move both their Eyes together the same way, is not caused by the conjunction of the Optick nerves, because that also is found in the Cameleon itself.

Fourthly, his way of taking hold of the small branches of Trees, like that of a Parret, who puts two of his claws before and two behind, whereas other Birds alwayes put three before, and one behind,

Fifthly, his having no Spleen; a very little Heart, and exceeding little Brain, in which appeared no mark at all of any sence for Hearing, this animall neither receiving nor giving any sound.

Sixtly, his Tongue being furnisht with and fastned to along tromp, serving to lanch it out, for the taking of flyes, on which he feeds, and not on Air alone; the Observers having found many flyes in his stomach and Guts; and taken notice also, that this Cameleon, they discourse of, voided divers stones of the bigness of a pea, which he had not swallowed, but bred in his gutts, seeing one of them, being dissolved in distilled vinegar, inclos'd the head of a fly.

By which Observations it appears, that though Orators have lost those pretty subjects to exercise their Eloquence upon, concerning the Wonders of the food, and of the Change of Colours in Cameloens; yet Philosophers doe now meet with