Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-01-11
CHAMELEON CHANGES OF MIR.
An Attempt 10 Tell How They Are Produced
through the sense Of Siaht.

These little creatures were about five
inches in length. of general dark green
hue Shadlng TO gray, assimilating the va
fipus objects upon which they rested
several little corals. one with white
GSe another with a gray. another with
green, and changed the occupants
ih"ut In ten or fifteen minutes they
very materially would adapt themselves
| u" very tint, though they never be.
ttmc white the change then being mere
~ Il lading out of all lines leaving tho.
pody rant gray. At night they became
b"autIinI green, which may be con-
sidGfcd tncir normal color The changes
made IN confinement, ! am confident.
were not 50 rapid as those when lizards
were IN their native Florida, where nols-
turc and bot days and nights gave them
ne exact temperature necessary for tfeir
oo3t displays
There is something mysterious and even
uncahhy in watching the change OF color
When placed upon q green twig the little
creature WOulu Immediately draw itself
Idt, extend It's front and hind legs AT
iull length and become to all intentS q
part Of the twig or branch. so that it was
diincult TO distinguish it. Meanwhile the
mysterious blush or green was deepening
ana stealing over it's back and sides
making the resemblance still more strik-
ing. The natural assumption of one who
hdh gwen the subject no especial atten-
ton might bc that the anolis had glanced
around. ana, pcrceiving that il was pre-
Sthting contrast not favorable TO its
personal safety. had assumed color
more protective. In other words thar
there was some intelligent act associated
Win the change. When the little Great
ur" was blindfolded it assumed the same
tint as at night. and did not change when
paced upon the most striking colOrs
showing that the eye was the Involuntary
medium by which the different tints were
obtained The act Of adaptation is per
Iectiy involuntary or made without the
knowledge of the animal. being the effec;
winch certain cOlors have upon the pig
ment cells Of the animal. AT least this
IS the generally accepted explanation. and
the experiments which have been made
with blind animals seem to show beyond
question that the eye is the medium.
These peculiar changes which are SO
well known in fishes and reptiles. can be
understood by glancng at the pigment
cells Of frog The skin is seen TO con-
sist OF two portions, the CUTS and epder-
mis-, the latter apparently being made up
Of cells, I he cults has large cavities
among the nerves. which are commonly
filled with pigment and are very sensitive
contracting and expanding in a remark
able way. The pigment cells are called
chromatophoreS, and vary in color in diff
ferent animals and in the parts OF each
animal, and may be red, brown. green,
yellow. black. or various shades The
color Of the chromatOphOres appears to
change during contraction or expansion.
and constitutes most complicated and
delicate study. Thus in a little fish Go
bus RuthensparrD HeinCke. the German
naturalist, while watching its yellow pig
ment cells saw them gradually expand
and become black.
These cells are distributed all over the
body with more or less regularity. and
upon their contraction and expansion de-
ponds the prevailing color of the animal
Thus, If the pigment cells or chromato-
phores expand the prevailing color will
become black, and the very light spots in
The animal duh. on the other hand. If
they contract a reverse effect obtains.
Exactly how these wonderful changes in
all animals which adapt themselves to
their environments are produced is not
known. but ii is assumed that certain col
oTs through the medium of the optic
nerve produce contraction or expansion.
and the result is a protective tint or one
which assimilates that upon which the
animal is resting. The eye receives the
stimulus or impression. which passes
from the optic nerves to the sympathetic
nerve, 50 reaching the various series of
s.-Scientitic American.