Memoirs for a natural history of animals. Containing the anatomical descriptions of several creatures dissected by the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris / Englished by Alexander Pitfeild [!] ... To which is added an account of the measure of a degree of a great circle of the earth, published by the same Academy, and Englished by Richard Waller.

French Academy of Sciences

Date:: 1688

Credit: Memoirs for a natural history of animals. Containing the anatomical descriptions of several creatures dissected by the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris / Englished by Alexander Pitfeild [!] ... To which is added an account of the measure of a degree of a great circle of the earth, published by the same Academy, and Englished by Richard Waller. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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ro The Superficies of the Skin was uneven, and raifed in little Eminencies like Chagrin:,- being neverthelefs very foft tothe touch, becaule that every: Emi- nence was very {mooth : Thefe Eminencies or Grains were of a diferent fize ; the greateft part were like the head ofa middle-fized Pina, wixs The Grains which covered the fore and hind-leggs, the Belly and Tail: There were others fomewhat bigger, of an oval Snape, upon the Shoulders and Head: 5 and fome of thefe large Grains were higher and more pointed, to witt, un- der the Throat, where they madea Row like Beads, which reached from tlie lower lipptothe Breaft:, The Grains which were upon the Back and Head, were Joyned and heaped together, fometimes to the Number of Seven, fome- tunes Six, Five, Four, Three and. Two; leaving between thefe different heaps, {ome diltances covered with other little Grains almoft imperceptible, which were generally ofa pale, Red, and Telowb like the bottom of the Skin which appeared jbetween thele parcels of Grains. This Ground changed not Colour till the Animal was dead, at which time the httle Points grew white- ifh, and the Ground whereon they were fowed, changedsts Red intoa Durk- Gray. Ir has been fince found, that all thefe Grains, as well the great as the little ones, were made by the Skin which {welled outward, being hollow on the in- fide in the place of everyGrain,like plates of Metal which are chaced or ftam- ped;in part alfo thro’ feveral little Pellicles very lender, and lying one upon a- nother, which increafed the-thicknefs of every Eminence ; which were ealily raifed, when they were {craped witha Penn-knife. But all this would. not make the Skin refemble that of a Crocsdile, as. Ariftotle with» moft Authors would have it. . For the Crocodile has upon its Back, very large thick Scales, proportionable to thofe under its Belly ; and they are ranzed one upon ano- ther ; whereas the Eminencies ef the Camelion’s Skin, are {pread without Or- der, and little differing in fize. The Colour of all the Eminences of our Camelion when it was at reft in the fhade, and had continued a long time untoucht, was a Blewifh-Gray, except- ing under the Paws, which was a White inclining to Telow, and the Inter- val of the Heap of Grains, which was ofa Pale and yellowifhb Red, as aforefaid: And it is probable, that the natural Colour of the Camelion’s Skin, which ac- cording to Arsffoële is Black, was in ours that Gray which covered the Skin all over when in Repofe, and which remained on the infide of the Skin when excoriated: ‘Though the out-fide had fometime after its Death preferved, the Spots and different Colours which were there at the Minute it expired, but which were well near all obfcured when the Skin was dryed. Now this Gray which coloured all the Camelon expofed tothe Light,changed when in the Sun; andall the places of its Body which were inlightened, in. itead of their Blewifh Colour, took up a Brownifh Gray, inclining toa Minine. The reft of the Skin which was not illuminated by the Sun, changed its Gray into feveral brisk fhining Colours, which made Spots about half a Finger in bignefs, which reached trom the Creft of the Spine to the middle of the Back - others appeared likewile upon the Ribbs, fore-leges and Tail. All thei Spots were of an I/alells Colour, through the mixture of a pale Iedov,where- with the Grains were coloured, and ofa brisk Red, which is the Colour ot the bottom of the Skin which appears among the Grains. Le] #

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