# Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (1665-1886)/Volume 12/Number 137/Some Observations of a Cameleon

See Vol. 4. Nu. 49. p.991.This was a female, as appeared by Eggs found within. As to the Colour of the Skin, it clearly appears mixed of several Colours, like a medly-Cloth: lighter towards the belly; otherwise, near upon it, equally mixed. The Colours discernable are Green, a Sandy Yellow, a deeper Yellow towards a Liver-colour: and indeed one may easily fancy some mixture of all or most Colours in the Skin; whereof some are more predominant at some times. There are some permanent black Spots on the ridge of the Back, and on the Head.
Upon excitation or warming she becomes suddenly full of black Spots of the bigness of Great-pins heads, equally dispersed on the sides, with small black streaks on the Eye lids; all which afterward do vanish.
The Skin is grained with globular inequalities, like the Leather called Shagreen, or the Eggs of Flies. The grossest grain is about the Head, next on the ridge of the Back, next on the Legs; on the Sides and Belly finest. Which perhaps in several postures, may shew several Colours. And when the Creature is in full vigour, may also have in some sort rationem speculi, and reflect the Colours of bodies adjacent: which, together with the mixture of Colours in the Skin, may have given occasion to the old Tradition, of changing into all Colours.
The Eyes resemble a Lens or Convex Glaß set in a Versatile globular Socket; which she turn'd backward, or any way without moving her Head. And ordinarily, the one a contrary or quite different way from the other.
Her Tongue, (which she was never seen to put forth of late, though she often opened her mouth wide) was easily drawn out, when she was dead, to half the length of her Body, being round and full toward the end, like a Pestil, with some cavity at the extremity: having a Bone about half the length of it, toward the Root; over which also the fore-part would slip backward. The Bone, where connected to the Body, is bifurcated. She hath Teeth plainly to be felt and seen above and below, on the whole circumference of the Jaw.
The Trunk of the Body, for the Structure of it, is all Thorax or Breast, having Ribs from the Neck to the seting on of ​the Tail. Of two sorts, the larger above, tending backward from the Spine or Back-bones. The other, from the extremities of the former, tending forward, as in the Breasts of Fowls: being with the same sort of those in Fowls, which by Aquapendent are called Costulæ.
There is a kind of Diaphragm, a thin transparent Membran, as in Birds, separating a small portion, about the fourth part of the Cavity, next the Belly, from the rest. Wherein is contained a small Ventricle, connexed to the Gula: to which is continued an Intestine, having some little convolution in the conveyance of it; which extended might be about the length of the whole Body, with Head and Tail. The Excrements therein black, or of a sad French Green.
She had a small thin Liver contiguous to the upper part of the Diaphragm: in part divided into two Lobes, of a blackish or very sad colour.
The Lungs seemed to be made of Membranous cells or divisions, very thin and transparent, resembling a little light froth.
The Heart was firm and fleshy, but very small; and at the very fore end of all the Breast or Body.
At the hinder end of the Body was a double Ovary, consisting of five or six eggs (of the bigness of the Greatest-pins heads, and sticking to the Back) on each side of the same colour and consistence with those of the Yolk of an Egg.