lled with crystals, and
cause the white colour by diffusion of direct light; near the Malpighian
layer the cells are charged with yellow oil drops; the deeper cells are
the largest, tinged light brown, and acting as a turbid medium they
cause a blue colour, which, owing to the superimposed yellow drops,
reaches our eye as green; provided always that there is an effective
screen at the back, and this is formed by large chromatophores which lie
at the bottom and send their black pigment half-way up, or on to the top
of the layers of guanine and oil containing cells. When all the pigment
is shifted towards the surface, as near the epidermis as possible, the
creature looks black; when the black pigment is withdrawn into the basal
portions of the chromatophores the skin appears yellow.

The lungs are very capacious, and end in several narrow blind sacs which
extend far down into the body cavity, so that not only the chest but the
whole body can be blown up. This happens when the animals hiss and
fight, as they often do. But when they know themselves discovered, they
make themselves as thin as possible by compressing the chest and belly
vertically by means of their peculiarly elongated ribs. The whole body
is then put into such a position that it presents only its narrow edge
to the enemy, and with the branch of the tree or shrub interposed. They
are absolutely arboreal, but they hibernate in the ground.

The usual mode of propagation is by eggs, which are oval, numerous,
provided with a calcareous shell, and buried in humus, whence they are
hatched about four months later. But a few species, e.g. the dwarf
chameleon, are viviparous.

Chameleons are insectivorous. They prefer locusts, grass-hoppers and
lepidoptera, but are also fond of flies and mealworms. They are
notoriously difficult to keep in good health. They want not only warmth,
but sunshine, and they must have water, which they lick up in drops from
the edges of wet leaves whenever they have a chance. The silliness of
the fable that they live on air is shown by the fact that they usually
die in an absolutely emaciated and parched condition after three or four
months' starvation. (H. F. G.)

In astronomy, "Chamaeleon" is a constellation situated near the south
pole and surrounded by the constellations of Octans, Mensa, Piscis
volans, Carina (Nauta), Musca and Apus. In chemistry, "chameleon
mineral" is a name applied to the green mass which is obtained w