Connecticut western news., 1877-09-07
The Carolina Lizard.

The Carolina Lizard.
 This little lacertilian reptile of the family ono1idT, is known to herpetolo- gists by the name dnolis principdliS (Linn@us). It is the dno1ius Corolinen- SIS (Cuvicr) of Holbrook. It has been called a chameleon. It does not, how ever, possess the prehensile tail and extensile tongue of true chameleon, but resembles it only in the changing hues of it's skin.
 The specimen upon which the few following observations were made, was captured in Florida. It's prevailing color is grayish brown, with a slight greenish tint. In the night, when in a state of repose, the color has always been, whenever observed, of clear bright green above; the labials and in- ferior parts white, or grayish white. A few times only through the day does it assume the green hue, yet this is the common color of the Carolina lizard when in wild state. The reason of this may be light-colored and green in- sect food. have seen it of uniform grayish-brown color above, with few spots of clear green dispersed over the body. At one time it changed from lead brown to clear, bright green, after it had crawled and remained upon some geranium leaves for few minutes. It retained this color for over ten minutes, when, without quitting the leaves, it gradually faded intoa uniform grayish- brown.
 The inferior surface of the epidermis of this lizard seems to contain numer- ous minute glands or chromatophores, by means of which the animal can, by secreting pigments into them, or with drawing the same, change from one color to another. Thus, when all pig ment is entirely drawn from the chro- matophores, the whole upper part of the animal is bright green colored :; when partly filled, grayish brown with a greenish tinge; and when entirely filled, dark grayish brown approaching to lead color. When one portion of the pores is empty and the other filled, the animal is bi-colored, or spotted with green and grayish-brown.
 The assertion that every scale of the animal is furnished with sets of mus cles, and that the change of color is produced by the action of light alone, is at best doubtful. On the inner parts of the scales of the epidermis, l ob- ,r1o duets, but no separate muscle attach ments.
 Before the old skin is about to be cast from the head, it becomes whitish in color OH the occipital and frontal regions, and around the orbits. From the anterior part of each eye, also around the eye, and extending to be- meath each nostril, the skin is broken by forcing outward the eyes and the muscles around them. The edge of loose from the occiput, after which it is pushed off from the entire head by the forefeet of the lizard.
 After the skin of the head has been removed, the skin of the new tail be- comes lighter in color, and then parts along the dorsal line, when the whole of it slips from the tail, a longitudinally hollow piece. When purchased, our specimen was minus part of it's tail, but new one soon began to sprout, and veloped.
 The lizard is an expert fy-catcher, and it feeds almost entirely upon com mon house flies. It has eaten several Croton bugs (ectobtd germonic0), also small beetles, day-flies, moths, and but terflies. It does not swallow its prey whole, in the manner of frog, but tears and mashes it with his teeth and jaws, before swallowing. It drinks often, licking drops of water from the leaves, and from the sides of his cage.
 It becomes quite excited on seeing its image in small looking glass, and makes bold advance towards it, at the same time erecting and depressing its head rapidly. This holding motion I have also observed in the horned toad (phrynosoma cornut,n', Harlan). As it is practised only at the meeting of indi- it is reasonable to suppose it to be an action of greeting, or, in other words, how-do-youdo nod.
 From that remote period in the great chain of human development, when our forefathers were yet lizards, even to the present enlightened period, a of the head was and is an action of salutation or friendly greeting; and although forgotten in many interven- ing Inks, it still survives.