Sfrecker — Phrynosoma Cornutum and other Texas Lizards. 167 



days, but I presume that this depends largely on the condition 

 of the weather and the location of the nest. Several eggs hatched 

 out in my office on the 35th day, but I am certain that these 

 were several days incubated when they were brought in . In my 

 former notes I mention a set of eggs that were found under an 

 old railroad tie. This seems rather a peculiar case when we 

 consider the fact that the eggs are usually buried to a depth of 

 six or seven inches, but at the time this set was found it had 

 been raining steadily for several days and the ground was wet 

 and soggy. These conditions may account for the seeming neg- 

 lect of the lizard mother. Had I not captured the female, I 

 might have at first thought that these eggs were those of some 

 other lizard. At that date, however, Cnemidophorvs gularis was 

 not breeding, in fact had only been active for a very few clays, 

 and it is the only other species that would be likely to breed in 

 such a situation. As far as my observations go, none of our 

 other lizards deposit more than a dozen eggs, and there were 

 twenty-four in the set mentioned. 



The breeding season extends from the middle of April into the 

 latter part of July. The eggs have a tough, leathery, non-cal- 

 careous shell. All of those in one set are usually of the same 

 shape, but when several sets are compared they show consider- 

 able variation. The length in about seventy specimens is about 

 the same, but the diameter varies considerably. The average 

 type measures f of an inch in length by tg i' 1 diameter. In 

 the fresh egg the color is yellowish-white. Those in the set col- 

 lected on July 10, 1906, are almost black as they were buried in 

 a bank composed largely of coal dust and cinders. 



When first hatched the young are smooth and tender, but in 

 a short time are very active in their movements and fully able to 

 take care of themselves. They do not receive any care from the 

 mother, who probably never returns to the spot where she buries 

 the eggs. 



This species, in common with other members of the genus, has 

 the habit of occasionally squirting blood from the corner of the 

 eye. This is only done when the animal has been injured by 

 rough handling. One afternoon I collected twenty-three speci- 

 mens, and when I was ready to start home my shirt looked as 

 though I had been present at a hog-killing. Judging from my 

 experience I would say that this habit was more common with 



