"A genus of saurian reptiles, constituting a distinct family, of very peculiar form and structure, and on various accounts highly interesting. The body is much compressed; the dorsal line sharp, in some of the species rising into an elevated crest; the back of the head is also elevated into a sort of cone. The neck is very short, and does not admit of the head being turned, for which, however, compensation is found in the remarkable powers of motion possessed by the large prominent eyes, which move independently of one another, and are covered with a membrane pierced only with a small hole for the pupil to look through." — Chambers, 1881

Chameleon

"A genus of saurian reptiles, constituting a distinct family, of very peculiar form and structure, and…

"Chameleon is a genus of reptiles belonging to the Saurian or lizard-like order, a native of parts of Asia and Africa. The very remarkable power which these animals possess of changing their color, at a very early period called the attention of observers to their habits. Its skin is composed of a sort of small, scaly grains, and under ordinary circumstances is of a greenish gray color. The eyes are capable of moving independently of each other, taking different directions at the same moment."—(Charles Leonard-Stuart, 1911)

Head of Chameleon

"Chameleon is a genus of reptiles belonging to the Saurian or lizard-like order, a native of parts of…