They hear not now the booming waters roar, Give back the lost and lovely! those for whom And the vain yearning woke 'midst festal song! To thee the love of woman hath gone down, Mrs. Hemans. 6. The Cameleon. Celebrated; renowned, spoken of. Possess'; have. Chang'ing; altering. Assim'ilating; making like. Limita'tions; restrictions. Tem'perature; degree of heat or cold. Likewise; also. Harm'less; innocent. Structure; form, shape. Fur'nished; supplied. Dila'ted; widened. Retract'ing; drawing back. Pop'ular; common. Nour'ished; supported, fed. Infla'ted; puffed up, filled. Invisible; not to be seen. FEW animals have been more celebrated by naturalists than the cameleon, which is said to possess the power of changing its colour at pleasure, and of assimilating it to that of any particular object or situation. This, however, is to be received with certain limitations, the change of colour which it takes varying in degree, according to the circumstances of health, temperature of weather, and other causes. It is a native of Africa and India, and has likewise been seen in the southern parts of Europe. It is harmless in its nature, and supports itself by feeding on insects, for which purpose the structure of its tongue is admirably fitted. It consists of a long missile body, furnished with a dilated, and somewhat tubular tip, by means of which the animal seizes insects with great ease, darting out its tongue in the manner of a woodpecker, and retracting it instantaneously, with the prey on its tip. It can also support a long abstinence, and hence arose the popular idea of the cameleon being nourished by air alone. A very interesting account of the cameleon is given by Forbes in his Oriental Memoirs. This great curiosity, he remarks, is so common in India, that it is found in every thicket. He describes with great accuracy, and in the following terms, one which he kept for several weeks : "The cameleon, including the tail, is about nine inches long; the body only half that length, varying in circumference, as it is more or less inflated; the head, like that of a fish, is immovably fixed to the shoulders; but every inconvenience is removed by the structure of the eyes, which, like spheres rolling on an invisible axis, are placed in deep cavities projecting from the head; through a small perforation in the exterior convexity appears a bright pupil surrounded by a yellow iris, which, by the singular formation and motion of the eye, enables the animal to see what passes before, behind, or on either side; and it can give one eye all these motions while the other remains perfectly still. A hard rising protects these delicate organs; another extends from the forehead to the nostrils. The mouth is large, and furnished with teeth, with a tongue half the length of the body, and hollow like an elephant's trunk; it darts nimbly at flies and other insects with this organ. The legs are longer than usual in the lizard kind; on each of the fore-feet are three toes next the body, and two on the outside; the hind legs are exactly the reverse; with these claws it clings fast to branches of trees, from, which it also sometimes suspends itself by the tail. The skin is granulated like shagreen, except a range of hard excrescences or denticulations, on the ridge of the back, which are always of the same colour as the body; whereas a row of similar projections beneath continues perfectly white, notwithstanding any change of colour which the animal undergoes. "The general colour of the cameleon, so long in my possession, was a pleasant green, spotted with pale blue: from this it changed to a bright yellow, dark olive, and a dull green; but never appeared to such advantage as when irritated, or when a dog approached it; the body was then considerably inflated, and the skin clouded like tortoise-shell, in shades of yellow, orange, green and black. A black object always caused an almost instantaneous change or transformation; the room appropriated for its accommodation was skirted by a board painted black; this the cameleon carefully avoided; but if he accidently drew near it, or if we placed a black hat in his way, he was reduced to a hideous skeleton, and from the most lively tints became black as jet: on removing the cause, the effect as suddenly ceased; the sable hue was succeeded by a brilliant colouring; and the body was again inflated."Wonders of the Universe. Oft has it been my lot to mark Two travellers, of such a cast, 'I've seen it, sir, as well as you; And must again affirm it blue : At leisure I the beast surveyed ''Tis green-'tis green, sir, I assure ye,'— Why, sir, d'ye think I've lost my eyes?' 6 Sirs,' cries the umpire, 'cease your pother: I caught the animal last night, And I'll be sworn that when you've seen And when before your eyes I've set him, 7. The Glutton. Fit'ted; adapted, qualified. Pursu'ing; chasing. Defect'; wants. Cun'ning; artifice, stratagem. Sagac-' ity; quickness, discernment. Extreme'ly; exceed |