Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-05-05
The Chameleon.

The chameleon is from ten to fifteen
inches in length, whereof one-half is
represented by the prehensile tail. The
body is roughly pyramidal in shape
the skin is covered with papillous ele-
vations instead of scales, and these. in
some of the species, assume the shape
of spiny processes along the ridge of
the back and the median line of the
chest and belly. The toes, five in
number, are divided into two opposable
sets of two and three, the toes of each
set being webbed down to the claws,
which are long and sharp. The head is
angular, rising into pyramidal occiput-
The eyeball is very large, protruding,
with single lid, which has minute
aperture in the centre for the very small
pupil. There is no external ear. The
tongue is extensible to the length of
half the length of the. animal, that is,
from five to seven inches. The lungs
are large, and connect with air-cells
underlying the skin. The neck is so
short as to prevent the head from being
turned from side to side. Though the
chameleon is arboreal in its habits, it
is very slow in its movements. 1t is
unprovided with any weapons of de-
fense against its enemies. The female
lays about thirty eggs, which are de-
posted in hollow in the ground, and
covered with loose earth.
The immobility of the chameleon dis
tinguishes it markedly from the rest of
the lizard tribe, which are generally
active and quick in their movements.
Alfred Brehm, who received as present
from the African explorer, Schwein-
furth, a number of these animals, states
that the chameleon never moves at all
except from necessity it will remain in
one position on a branch or twig for
hours at time, firmly grasping with
tail and paws the object on which it is
perched. The eyes, on the contrary,
are nearly always in motion. When
preying on winged insects, the chame-
leon is seen occasionally to protrude
the knobbed end of his tongue, and in
an instant that member is shot forth
and again retracted, bearing the prey
into the captor's mouth. The extremity
of the tongue exudes sticky substance
on which the prey is caught. When
flies and other winged insects are not
to be had, the chameleon's swivel eyes
scan the trunk of the tree, and the
branches above, below, and on all sides
around, to see if any creeping thing
may be caught. II any such creature
is approaching the spot where the cham
leon is lying, he waits till it comes
within striking distance, and then "dis-
charges" his tongue at it. But, If the
creature is travelling away from him,
he pursues, though with grave delibera-
tion.
The large, projecting eye-balls of the
chameleon are capable of great variety
of movements and, what is very curl
Gus, each of them may, and usually
does, act independently of the other.
This circumstance compensates for the
fxedness of the head, enabling the ami
NAL to direct its glances ON all sides,
without the necessity of calling into
play any muscles save those of the eye
ball. Still, when about to strike, the
chameleon brings both of its eyes to
bear upon the object. "Notwithstand
ing," says Weissenbaum, THE strictly
symmetrical construction of the chame-
leon as to its two halves, the eyes move
Independently of each other, and con-
vey different impressions to the differ
ent centres of perception /; the conse-
quence is that, when the animal is
agitated, its movements appear like
those of two animals glued together.
Each half wishes to move its own way,
and there is no concert of action. The
chameleon, therefore, is not able to
swim like other animals; it is so
frightened when put into water that
the faculty of concentration is lost, and
it tumbles about as if in state of in
toxication. Nay, more, the chameleon
may be asleep on one side and awake
on the other"
But the color-changes of the chame-
leon form perhaps the most interesting
phenomenon connected with this ami
NAL. These changes of color range
from whity-yellow, through yellow,
bright and dark green, to dull black
and these diversities of coloration may
affect the entire surface of the animal,
or one or other of its sides, or may ap-
pear only in spots. NJ. Paul Bert, a
French sdrdnt, has for some time been
engaged in studying the anatomy and
mechanism of these phenomena. In
the skin of the chameleon he finds a
close network of minute ducts, connect
ing with pigment-vesicles situated on
its under surface. When the coloring-
liquid is all retained in these vesicles,
the animals skin appears yellowish,
that being the color of the semi-trans-
parent epidermis. When the liduid is
injected into the ducts. the color of the
animal changes, the tint depending on
the degree of tension in the ducts. If
a nerve be cut, the region of the chame-
Icons body to which that nerve was
distributed becomes at once deep
black, and no more color-changes occur
over that area. M. Bert is disposed to
believe that the chameleon possesses
special set of "color-nerves" distinct
from the motor and sensory systems, and
that these nerves are under the control
of the will.