mals agree in the number of teeth; and the general manners and habits of both are found to be similar in the old and new continents. The more accurate discrimination, however, of Blumenbach, and some others, seems in reality to prove that the American crocodile is specifically distinct from the Nilotic. The leading difference appears to be, that the head of the alligator is smooth on the upper part, and not marked with those very strong rugosities and hard carinated scales which appear on that of the crocodile; the snout is considerably flatter and wider, as well as more rounded at the extremity. The alligator arrives at a size not much inferior to that of the crocodile, specimens having often been seen of eighteen or twenty feet in length.

Though the largest and greatest numbers of alligators,' says Catesby, inhabit the torrid zone, the continent abounds with them ten degrees more north, particularly as far as the river Neus, in North Carolina, in the latitude of about 33°, beyond which I have never heard of any, which latitude nearly answers to the northernmost parts of Africa, where they are likewise found. They frequent not only salt rivers near the sea, but streams of fresh water in the upper parts of the country, and in lakes of salt and fresh water, on the banks of which they lie lurking among reeds, to surprise cattle and other animals. In Jamaica, and many parts of the continent, they are found about twenty feet in length: they cannot be more terrible in their aspect, than they are formidable and mischievous in their natures, sparing neither man nor beast they can surprise, pulling them down under water, that, being dead, they may with greater facility, and without a struggle or resistance devour them. As quadrupeds do not so often come in their way, they almost subsist on fish; and as, by the close connexion of the vertebræ they can neither swim nor run away, but strait forward, and are consequently disabled from turning with that agility requisite to catch their prey by pursuit, therefore they do it by surprise in the water as well as by land.

L. Carolinensis, the green lizard of Carolina, is so denominated from its color. This species is very slender; the tail is near double the length of the body, and the whole length about five inches. It inhabits Carolina; where it is domestic, familiar, and harmless. It sports on tables and windows, and amuses with its agility in catching flies. Cold affects the color; in that uncertain climate, when there is a quick transition in the same day from hot to cold, it changes instantly from the most brilliant green to a dull brown. They are a prey to cats and ravenous birds. They appear chiefly in summer; and at the approach of cold weather retire to their winter recesses, and lie torpid in the hollow crevices of rotten trees. A few warm sun-shiny days often so invigorate them, that they will come out of their holes and appear abroad; when on a sudden the weather, changing to cold, so enfeebles them, that they are unable to return to their retreats, and die of cold.

L. caudiverbera has a depressed pinnatified tail, and palmated feet. It is larger than the

common green lizard, is found in Peru, and has obtained its name from its beating the groun with its tail.

L. Cayman, or the Antilles crocodile, has been confounded with the alligator and Gangetica, but is evidently different from both; and has accordingly been properly distinguished by the abbé Bonaterre in the Encyclopedie Methodique. The greatest strength of this animal, according to M. Merian, consists in its teeth, of which there are two rows crossing one another, by means of which it grinds with the greatest ease whatever it seizes upon. The Cayman is so called from some small isles of that name among the Antilles, where these creatures are said to be very numerous. They are of exceeding strength, and equally the dread both of men and animals; for they live on land as well as in the water, and devour every creature they meet with. CAYMAN.

See

L. chamæleon, the chamæleon, has a crooked cylindrical tail. The head of a large chamæleon is almost two inches long, and thence to the beginning of the tail it is four inches and a half. The tail is five inches long, and the feet two and a half. The thickness of the body is different at different seasons; for sometimes from the back to the belly it is two inches, and sometimes one; for he can blow up and contract himself at pleasure. This swelling and contraction is not only of the back and belly, but also of the legs and tail. The chamæleon will continue blown up for two hours together, and then grow less and less insensibly; for the dilatation is always more quick and visible than the contraction. In this last state he appears extremely lean; the spine of the back. is sharp, and all his ribs might be told; the tendons of the arms and legs might also be seen distinctly. The skin is very cold to the touch; and, notwithstanding he seems so lean, there is no feeling the beating of the heart. The surface of the skin is unequal, and has a grain not unlike shagreen, but very soft, because each eminence is as smooth as if it was polished. Some of these are as large as a middling pin's head on the arms, legs, belly, and tail; but on the shoulders and head they are of an oval figure, and a little larger. Those under the throat are ranged in the form of a chaplet, from the lower lip to the breast. Some of the head and back are amassed together in clusters, with spaces between them, on which are almost imperceptible spots of a pale red and yellow color, as well as the ground of the skin itself, which plainly appears between these clusters. changes color when the animal is dead, becoming of a grayish-brown, and the small spots are whitish. The head is like that of a fish, being joined to the breast by a very short neck, covered on each side with cartilaginous membranes resembling gills. There is a crest directly on the top of the head, and two others on each side above the eyes, and between these there are two cavities near the top of the head. The muzzle is blunt, like that of a frog: at the end there is a hole on each side for the nostrils; but there are no ears, nor the sign of any. The jaws are furnished with a bone in the form of teeth, of which he makes but little use, as he lives by swallow

This ground

assisted also by the distension of their immense lungs, which, being expanded with air, render the animal nearly transparent. Mr. Barrow observes, that previously to the chamæleon's assuming a change of color, it makes a long inspiration, the body swelling out to twice its usual size; and, as this inflation subsides, the change of color gradually takes place. The only permanent marks are two small dark lines passing along the sides.' According to D'Obsonville, the blood of the chamæleon is of a violet blue color; the vessels and cutis yellow; the epidermis transparent: hence he conceives, that, in consequence of more or less blood being sent to the external arteries, all the shades of color which the animal presents may be produced.

ing flies and other insects without chewing them; and hence arose the vulgar notion of his living upon air, because he was never seen to eat. The tongue, which Linnæus says resembles an earthworm, is of considerable length, and is enlarged and somewhat flattened at the end. From this member there continually oozes out a very glutinous liquor, by means of which it catches such insects as come within its reach, and it is surprising to see with what quickness it retracts its tongue the instant it has arrested any prey. The form, structure, and motion of the eyes, have something very peculiar; for they are very large, being almost half an inch in diameter, of a globular figure, and stand out of the head. They have a single eye-lid like a cap, with a small hole in the middle, through which the sight of the eye appears, no bigger than a pin's head, L. crocodylus, the crocodile, has a compressed and a shining brown, encircled by a little ring jagged tail, five toes on the fore, and four on the of a gold-color. This eye-lid has a grain like hind feet. This is the largest animal of the shagreen, as well as the other parts of the skin; genus. A young one that was dissected at aud when the rest of the body changes color, Siam, an account of which was sent to the Royal and assume spots of different shape, those on the Academy at Paris, was eighteen feet and a half lid always keep the same form, though they are long; the tail was no less than five feet and a tinctured with the same color as the skin. But half, and the head and neck above two and a the most extraordinary thing relating to the eyes half. He was four feet nine inches in circumis, that this animal often moves one when the ference where thickest. The hinder legs, inother is entirely at rest; nay, somtimes one eye cluding the thigh and the paw, were two feet will seem to look directly forward and the other two inches long; the paws from the joint to the backward, and one will look up to the sky when extremity of the longest claws, were above nine the other regards the earth. The trunk of the inches. They were divided into four toes; of which body comprehends the thorax and the belly, but three were armed with large claws, the longest is almost all thorax, with little or no belly. The of which was an inch and a half, and seven lines four feet are al! of equal length; but those be- and a half broad at the root. The fourth toe was fore are turned backwards, and those behind for- without a nail, and of a conical figure; but was wards. There are five toes on each paw, which covered with a thick skin like shagreen leather. have a greater resemblance to hands than feet. These toes were united with membranes like They are all divided into two, which gives the those of ducks, but much thicker. The fore appearance of two hands to each arm, and two legs had the same parts and conformation as the feet to each leg; and though one of these parts arms of a man, but were somewhat shorter than has three toes, and the other but two, yet they those behind. The hands had five fingers, the seem to be all of the same size. These toes lie last two of which had no nails, and were of a together under the skin; their shape, however, conical figure, like the fourth toe on the hind may be seen through the skin. With these paws paws. The head was long, and had a little rising the chamæleon can lay hold of the small at the top; but the rest was flat, especially tobranches of trees like a parrot. When he is wards the extremity of the jaws. It was covered about to perch he parts his toes differently from with a skin, which adhered firmly to the skull birds, placing two behind and two before. The and jaws. The skull was rough and unequal claws are little, crooked, very sharp, and of a in several places; and about the middle of the pale yellow, proceeding but half way out of the forehead there were two bony crests, about two skin, while the other half is hid beneath it. His inches high. They were not quite parallel, but walk is slower than that of a tortoise, and he separated from each other in proportion as they seems to move along with an affectation of gra- mounted upwards. The eye was very small in vity. He seems to seek for a proper place to proportion to the rest of the body; and so placed set his feet upon; and, when he climbs up trees, within its orbit, that the outward part, when shut, he does not trust to his feet like a squirrel, but was only a little above an inch in length, and endeavours to find out clefts in the bark, that he ran parallel to the opening of the jaws. The may get a surer hold. His tail is like that of a nose was placed in the middle of the upper viper when it is puffed up and round; at other jaw, near an inch from its extremity, and was times the bones may be seen in the same manner perfectly round and flat, being two inches in as on the back. He always wraps his tail round diameter, of a black, soft, spongy substance, like the branches of trees, and it serves him instead the nose of a dog. The form of the nostrils was of a fifth hand. He is a native of Africa and somewhat like the Greek 2; and there were two Asia. Wormius believes the change of color to caruncles which filled and closed them very exdepend upon the feelings of the animal, or upon actly, and which opened as often as he breathed the different degrees of heat or cold to which it through the nose. The jaws seemed to shut one is subjected. It seems similar to blushing, and within another by means of several apophyses, is probably produced by the greater or less which proceeded from above downwards, and from quantity of blood sent into the minute vessels, below upwards, there being cavities in the oppo