The Family Xantusiidae 



"Most of the lizards were found between the bark and the 

 ground, but many had hidden in the thick clusters of dead leaves, 

 from which it was very difficult to dislodge them. When first 

 exposed to the light, they were dark coloured, and seemed dazzled 

 for a moment, during which they made no attempt to escape. 

 They were not at all sluggish, however, and, if not caught imme- 

 diately, made for the nearest cover as fast as their very short 

 legs would permit. This cover was often the collector, and the 

 little lizards either hid under his shoes, or climbed his legs, some- 

 times even reaching his shoulders. They showed no desire to 

 enter the numerous holes in the ground about them, or to escape 

 by burrowing. Put into a glass bottle they became very light 

 coloured in a few minutes, but began to turn dark again imme- 

 diately after sundown. Young specimens were numerous, and 

 remained dark longer than adults. Many fragments of cast 

 skins were found, but never a whole skin in one place. The 

 stomachs of several individuals contained the wings of some small 

 dipterous insect, the elytra of a little brown beetle, and some 

 very small white bodies which resemble spiders' eggs. 



"Several specimens were taken alive to the Leland Stan- 

 ford Junior University, and kept for some months in a large 

 glass jar in which some fine sand and pieces of wood and bark 

 had been placed. At first, they ventured out from their retreat 

 only at dusk unless disturbed, but after a few days they seemed 

 to become more restless, and, urged perhaps by hunger, showed 

 themselves many times each day. At night, when they were 

 always more active, they often climbed to the top of a piece of 

 yucca stem placed upright in the middle of their cage. No de- 

 sire to burrow was observed. All declined to show any interest 

 in the small beetles and flies, both dead and living, which were 

 placed in the jar, and finally became greatly emaciated. They 

 were chloroformed in March, 1894. 



"Mojave, Cal., Sept. 17-18, 1894. As it was not practicable 

 to learn by actual investigation whether or not X. vigilis hid, 

 during the day, among the thick-growing leaves of the living 

 yuccas, the localities examined in 1893, still clearly marked by 

 the displaced rubbish, were searched with great care. The fact 

 that very few specimens were now secured in this previously 

 worked area while the species were very common just outside its 

 limits, is evidence that the specimens found on the ground under 



181 



