Chameleon, a reptile belonging to the saurian or lizard-like order. In the original of Lev. xi, 30, occur the words ho'dch (nb, so called apparently on account of its great strengih) and Hnshe'meth (T'arpri), the
CHAMIER
205
CHAMOIS
first of which, in oar version, is rendered "chameleon" (after the Sept and Vulg. xofiatXkuv, chafnaleon)^ and the second ^^ mole ;" bat Bochart and others consider both words as relating to animals of the taurian or lizard tribe, and that which oar translators have term- ed the mole is, in reality, the chameleon {ChamceUo wigaru)^ while the chameleon of our version is some otiier and larger creature of the same order, perhaps a species of the land crocodile. See Mole. *^The chameleon is a small species of lizard, celebrated for the fiscal ty it has of changing the color of its skin. This property, however, has no reference to the sub- stance it may be placed on, as generally asserted, but is solely derived from the bulk of its respiratory organs acting upon its transparent skin and on the blood of the animal. The chameleons form a small genus of saarians, easily distinguished by the shagreened char- acter of the skin, and the five toes on the feet, divided differently from those of most other animals, there be- ing^ if the expression may be allowed, two thumbs op- posed to three fingers. Their eyes are telescopic, move separately, and can be directed backward or for- ward. Chameleons are slow, inoffensive, and capable of considerable abstinence from food, which consists solely of flies, caught by a rapid protrusion of a long
ChamcBleo A/rieaniia,
and viscous tongae. Among themselves they are iras- cible, and are then liable to change their colors rapid- ly ; dark yellow or gray is predominant when they are in a quiescent state, but, while the emotions are in ac- tivi^, it passes into green, purple, and even ashy black. The species found in Palestine and all North- ern Africa is the common * African chameleon,* and probably is that referred to in I^v. xi, 80, where an- dean animals are mentioned" (Kitto, s. v.). (See Pen- ny Cydopadiay s. v.). See Lizard.
Chamier, Daniel, a French Protestant divine, was bom in 1565 ; studied at Orange ; and at 16 be- came one of the professors of the college at Nismes. In 1583 he went to study at Geneva, where he was or- dained. On his return he was made pastor of Vans, and afterward of Aubenas, and some time after suc- ceeded his father, Adrian Chamier, as pastor of Mont^ limar. In 1596 he was sent by the province to the Natbnal Synod of Saumur, and several times after- wards to the Assemblies of Laudnn,yend6me, Saumur, and Chatelleraalt. He gained great credit by his firm- ness in the negotiations relating to the Edict of Nantes. In 1600 he distinguished himself in a controversy with Father Coton at Nismes, and the next year with the Jesuit Gaultier. In 1601 he became a delegate to the National Synod of Gergeau, and, together with Mara- ▼al, went as a deputation to the king to ask for the con- tinoation of the Saumur Assembly ; this was refused, but the convocation of an assembly at Sainte Foix was granted, and of this he also became a member, as well as of several succeeding assemblies. Made pastor of Montaaban,he also applied himself to the restoration of its college, and continued his labors as preacher and pro- fessor until he was killed by a cannon-ball at the siege of that city on Oct 21, 1621. His principal works are : I^itp^ <fe la vocation des mimstres en VEglise Reformee (LaRochelle, 1598, 8vo); EpisiolaJestdtica (Gen. 1599, 8vo) ; Confusion des disputes pc^stes (Gen. 1600, 8vo) ; t>itp^a/io aeholastico4heologica de acumenico pontifice
(Gen. 1601, Svo) ; La hmiie de Babylon (pt. i, 1612, 8vo); PanstraticB catholica sive controversiarum de reli- gione adv. pontificlos corpus (Gen. 1626, 4 vols. fol. ; 2d ed. Frankf. ad M. 1627, 4 vols, fol.) ; Corpus theo- lofficunij sive Loci communes (Gen. 1618, fol.). See Me- moir of Chamier (Lond. 1852, 8vo).— Haag, La France protestante^ iii, 317 ; Bayle, Dictionary ^ s. v.
Chamois, the rendering in the Auth. Vers, at Deut. xix, 5, of the Heb. *1^.T, te'mer (so called from leaping; Sept. and Vulg. understand the giraffe^ KOfiri- XoirdpdaXiQj camelopardabts ; Luther "elend" or e/ib). The enumeration there requires us to understand te- mer to be a clean ruminant ; but it is plain that the Mosaic list of clean animals would not include such as were totally out of the reach of the Hebrew people, and at best only known to them from specimens seen in £g}'pt, consisting of presents sent fh>m Nubia, or in pictures on the walls of temples. The camelopard is exclusively an inhabitant of Southern Africa (comp. Strabo. xvi, 771 ; xvii, 827 ; Pliny, viii, 27), and there- fore could not come in the way of the people of Israel (see Michaelis, Suppl. iii, 628). The same objection applies to the elk, because that species of deer never appears further south than Northern Germany and Po- land (Cuvier, A nim. Kingd. i, 876 sq.). As to the cham- ois (Gesenius, Thes. i, 420), though it did exist in the mountains of Greece, and is still found in Central Asia, there is no vestige of its having at any time frequent- ed Libanus or any other part of S}Tia. Zammer is still used in Persia and India for any large species of ruminants, particularly those of the stag kind. In the sacred text, however, the word zemer is not gener- ical, but strictly specific. AU^ or "stag," is men- tioned, as well as several Antilopidse, in the same verse; we must, therefore, look for an animal not hitherto noticed, and withal sufficiently important to merit being named in such an ordinance. See Dbbb ; Goat ; Gazelle, etc.