LAC ( 8 <£o
-let, from the lower lip to the hreafr. Some "on the
head and back are aniaffed together in clufters, with
fpaces between them, on which are almofl: impercep¬
tible fpots of a pale red and yellow colour; as well as
the ground of the /kin itfelf; which plainly appears
between thefe clufters. This ground changes colour
. when the animal is dead, becoming of a greyi/h brown,
and the fmall fpots are whitiih.
The colour of all thefe eminences, when the chamx-
. Jeon is at reft in a /hady plate, is of a bluifti grey,
except on the claws, where it is white with a little
yellow; and the fpaces between the clufters. is of a pale
red' and yellow, as was before obferved-. But when
he is in the fun, all parts of the body which are affec¬
ted with the light, become of a greyifh brown, or ra¬
ther of a tawny. That part of the Hein which the fun
does not fliine on, changes into feveral brighter co¬
lours, which form fpots of the (ize of half one’s fin¬
ger. Some of thefe defcend from the fpine half way
on the back ; and others appear on the fides. arms,
and tail. They are all of an ifabella colour, from a
mixture of a pale yellow and of a bright red, which
is the colour of the ground of thefkin.
The head ftf a chameleon is not unlike that of a fi/h,
it being joined to the breaft by a very fhort neck, co¬
vered on each fide with cartilaginous membranes re-
fembling the gills of filbes. There is a creft direflly
on the top of the head, and two others on each fide
above the eyes, and between thefe there are two cavities
near the top of the head. The muzzle is blunt, and
not much unlike that of a frog; at the end there is a
hole on each fide for the noftrils, but there are no
ears, nor any fign of any.
The jaws are furnifhed with teeth, or rather with a
bone in the form of teeth, which he makes little or no
ufe of, becaufe he lives upon fwallowing flies and o-
ther infefts, without chewing them. The form, ftruc-
ture, and motion of the eyes, have fomething very
particular; for they are very large, being almoft half
an inch in diameter They are of a globous figure;
which maybe eafily feen, becaufe they ftand out of the
head. They have a lingle eye-lid like a cap, with a
hole in the middle, through which the fight of the eye
appears, which is of a/hining brown, and round it
there is a little circle of a gold colour. This eye-lid
has a grain like Ihagreen, as well as the other parts of
the /kin ; and when the reft of the body changes co¬
lour, and affumes fpots of different (hapes, thofe on
the lid always keep the fame form, though they are
tintfured with the fame colour as the /kin. But the
moft extraordinary thing relating to the eyes is, that
this animal often moves one when the other is en¬
tirely at reft; nay, fometimes one eye will feem to
look direftly .forward, and the: other backward; and
one will look up to the Iky when the other regards the
earth.
That part of the body which is called the trunk,
'and comprehends the thorax and the belly, in a cha-
maeleon is almoft all thonfe with little or no belly.
The four feet are all of a lefl|th ; and the only [diffe¬
rence between them is, that thofe before are turned
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backwards, and thofe behind forwards. There are
five toes on each paw, which have a greater refemblance
to hands than feat. They are all divided into two,
which gives the appearance of two hands to each arm,
and two feet to each leg ; and though one of thele parts
have three toes, and the other but two, yet they feem
to be ajl of the fame fize. Thefe toes lie together
under‘the fame /kin as in a mitten ; however, their
fnape might be feen through the /kin. With tbefe
paws the chamxleon can lay hold of the fmall branches
of trees in the fame manner as a parrot. When he is
about to perch, he parts his toes different from birds,
becaufe he puts two behind and two before. The
claws are little, crooked, very /harp, and of a pale
yellow, proceeding but halfway out of the fltin, while
the other half is hid beneath it. His walk is flower
than that of a tortoife, and he feems to move along
with an affedlation of gravity. He feems to feek for
a proper place to fet his feet upon; and when he
climbs up trees, he does nottruft to his feet like fijuir-
rels, but endeavours to find out clefts in the bark, that
he may get a furer hold.
His tail is like that of a viper when it is puffed up
and round; for otherwife the bones may' be feen in the
fame manner as on the back. He always wraps his
tail round the branches of trees, and it ferves him as
it were inftead of a fifth hand.
He is a native of Africa and Afia.
21. The gecko, has a cylindrical tail, concave ears,
and a warty body. Itis the Indian falama^der ofBontius.
“ This animal is very frequent in Cairo, (fays Haffel-
quift) both in the houfes^and without them. Thepoifon
of this animal is very Angular, as it exhales from thelobu-
li of the toes. The animal feeks all places and things im¬
pregnated with fea fait, and p, fling over them feveral
times leaves this very noxious poifon behind it. In July
1750,1 faw two women and a girl, in Cairo, at the point
of death, from eating cheefe new failed, bought in the
market, and on which this animal had dropt its poifon.
Once at Cairo, I had an opportunity of obferving how a-
cridthe exhalations of the toes of this animal are, as it
ran over the hand of a man who endeavoured to catch
it; there immediately rofe little puftules over all thofe
parts the animal had touched; tbefe were red, infla¬
med, and finarted a little, greatly refembling thofe oc-
cafioned by the flinging of nettled It emits an odd
found, efpecially in the night, from its throat, notun¬
like that of a frog.” 22. Thefcincus, has a cylindri¬
cal tail, compreffed at the point, and blunt margina-
ted toes. This animal is found in Arabia Petraea near
the Red Sea, and in Upper Egypt near the Nile. It is
much ufed by the inhabitants of the Eaft as an aphrodi-
fiacutn, but not at this time by the Europeans. Thg fle/h
of the animal is given in powder, with fome ftimulating-
vehicle ; broth made of the recent fle/h, is likewife
ufed by the Arabs. It is brought from Upper Egypt
and Arabia to Alexandria, whence it is carried^to
Venice and Marfeilles, and from thence to all the a-
pothecaries /hops of Europe. It has been an error,
common to almoft all authors, to imagine the fcinous
to be a filh. 23. The orbicularis, Jus a -cylindrical