72 PHRYNOSOMADOUGLASSII. 



Habits. Mr. Bell* says, on the authority of Mr. David Douglas, who observed 

 it in its wild state, that, "like most others of its tribe, it is very nimble during 

 the summer months, and it is then difficult to capture it; but in April, when it first 

 makes its appearance, or in October, before it retires to its winter habitation, 

 being at both seasons weakly, it is easily taken. At such seasons the traveller is 

 constantly annoyed by them during the night, seeking shelter from the cold under 

 his blanket, and is frequently under the necessity of removing these little intruders 

 on his rest. It takes up its abode in the holes made by a species of Lepus, 

 Arctomys, (Arctomys Richardsonii,) which are alternately occupied by them and 

 several species of Coluber, which resort there for the purpose of preying on these 

 Agamse, (Phrynosoma?,) and on the marmots." 



He further states, on the same authority, its food to be coleopterous insects 

 and vegetable substances, as the purschia, artemisia, &c.; but Mr. Nuttall, an 

 accurate Naturalist, informs me that he has frequently observed these animals, 

 during a residence of many months in the country about the Oregon river, and 

 that their only food is insects. 



Geographical Distribution. The Phrynosoma Douglassii is abundant in the 

 sandy plains south of the river Oregon, and chooses for its residence the banks of 

 streams that are covered with the purschia tridentata, artemisia, salvia, &:c. 



General Remarks. Mr. T. Bell gave the first description of this animal in 

 the Transactions of the Linnsean Society of London, and accompanied it with a 

 tolerable figure, in which the short Icnobs about the head, instead of long spines, 

 as in the other Phrynosomte, are well represented. The individual from which 

 Mr. Bell took his description and figure was brought from the Oregon river by 

 Mr. David Douglass, whose name he has given to the species. 



Dumeril and Bibront have greatly erred in supposing this to be the young of 



* Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond., vol. xvi. p. 106. t Hist. Nat. des Rept, torn. iv. p. 314. 



