He looked upon the death of the tarantula as a just punishment; moreover, the chameleon, from its fine colours, its sportive habits, and its harmlessness--so far as man is concerned--is a general favourite with all; and it was so with Francois.

In fact, Francois, as well as his brothers, who had often watched this little creature gambolling among the leaves, and feeding upon flies and other small insects, had never seen it exhibit so much ferocity before.

Notwithstanding this, they all applauded it for killing the hideous tarantula; and so far as they were concerned, it might have carried the body to its hole without being molested.

It was destined, however, to meet with interruption from another quarter.

Francois, whose quick eyes were wandering about, suddenly exclaimed,-- "Look--brothers, look! A _scorpion-lizard_!" Basil and Lucien cast their eyes where Francois pointed--up to the trunk of a tree that rose over the spot where the chameleon was crawling.
About twenty feet from the ground was a dark, round hole, evidently the former nest of the red-bellied woodpecker (_Picus Carolinus_).