Habits of Chameleons

Abstract

I HAVE just read Mr. Ridsdale's letter about the Chameleon, and write to say that I have one here which has lived in England since May 23, 1891, when it was brought from the Cape by my nephew. I imagine it must be somewhat different to Mr. Ridsdale's specimen, judging from the variations of colour. This one has green as its predominant colour, changing in a bright light to a brown or almost chocolate hue, and at night it is often a bright canary yellow, especially when kept, as it was on its first arrival, in a cage which was painted cream colour inside. Only once have I seen it turn white, and that was when I was just in time to save it from being killed by a cat, and then I suppose it was the result of fear. It frequently has yellowish stripes running along its body, and sometimes round red spots. Not unfrequently one side of its body is of a different colour to the other. It drinks only sparingly, but I saw it do so this morning, putting its head right into the glass with which it is supplied.