Up to this time it had not seen the tarantula either. As it
was passing onward, its eyes fell upon the latter as he climbed up his
silken ladder. All at once the lizard stopped, and put itself into a
crouching attitude. Its colour suddenly changed. The vermilion throat
became white, and then ashy pale; and the bright green of its body faded
into dark brown or rust colour, until it was difficult to distinguish
the animal from the bark of the liana! Had the eyes of the spectators
not been already fixed upon it, they might have supposed that it had
disappeared altogether. After crouching for a few seconds, it seemed to
have formed its plan of attack--for it was evident that it meant to
attack the spider--such, with flies and other insects, being its natural
food and prey. It passed to the opposite side of the liana, and then
proceeded upward, making for the nest of the tarantula. It reached this
point by a single run, although its back was downward as it crawled.
This it could easily do by means of the tubercules upon its toes--which
enable lizards of the genus anolius to walk upon perpendicular walls, up
glass windows, or along the smoothest ceilings.

For some moments it lay quiet in a crouching attitude, waiting the
approach of the spider, that, busied with his own affairs, did not dream
of a lurking foe so near him. The tarantula was, no doubt, in high
spirits at the moment, exulting at the prospect of the banquet of blood
he should have, when he had carried the ruby-throat to his dark, silken
cave. But he was destined never to reach that cave. When he had got
within a few inches of its entrance, the chameleon sprang out from the
limb, seized the spider in his wide jaws, and all three--lizard, spider,
and bird--came to the ground together. The bird was let go in the fall,
and became separated from the others. Between these there was a short
struggle over the grass--for the tarantula fought fiercely; but he was
no match for his antagonist; who, in a few moments, had ground off his
legs with his powerful jaws, and left him a helpless and motionless
trunk. The chameleon now seized his victim by the head, sunk his sharp,
conical teeth into its skull, and thus killed it outright.

What appeared singular to all was, that the moment the lizard had first
sprung upon his prey his bright colours returned like a flash, and he
again appeared with his green back and red throat, if possible more
brilliant than ever.