134 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



sas and Missouri. I have never found a specimen in Mis- 

 souri, but E. D. Cope in the Eeport of the U. S. National 

 Museum for 1898 reports two specimens, Nos. 17,397-9 of 

 the Smithsonian Collection, from southwest Missouri, col- 

 lected by C. W. Richmond. 



Habits. — This species loves dry places and sunshine. 

 Wlien at rest it is hard to see on account of its protective 

 coloring-, but easily caught when it moves and catches 

 your eye. It is perfectly harmless and often kept as a 

 pet. If they will eat they may be kept in confinement for 

 a long time. Most of the time, however, they starve 

 themselves to death. This is one of the species of Horned 

 Toads that squirts blood out of the corner of its eye. In 

 my collecting in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona I sev- 

 eral times captured Plirynosomas that squirted blood at 

 my hand or face. 0. P. Hay in Volume 15 of the Pro- 

 ceedings of the U. S. National Museum published an 

 article ''On the Ejection of Blood from the Eyes of 

 Horned Toads," where he gives the following account of 

 the blood squirting habit of these lizards: "In examin- 

 ing the animal that a student had brouglit me, I took occa- 

 sion to turn him on his back, using a lead pencil for the 

 purpose. The animal resented this treatment and showed 

 considerable anger, opening his mouth and puffing up his 

 body. Irritating the animal still more, he grew more and 

 more enraged, until finally blood spurted from just above 

 his eye, which was fired at least a foot from the animal, 

 as several spots struck my arm considerably above my 

 wrist. After spurting the blood the animal became limp 

 and collapsed, and remained in a stupor for some time, 

 and, when handled, behaved as if dead. After a time^ 

 possibly not over five or six minutes, certainly not over 

 ten, the animal revived and commenced to run about the 

 table. Wishing to know if he would repeat the operation, 

 I commenced to irritate him again in the same manner. 

 After becoming enraged again the animal soon went 

 through the same process, ejecting blood from the same 



