141 



Brookville (Hughes) ; New Harmony (Sampson's coll.) ; Monroe county 

 (BoUman and Nor. Sch. coll.); Terre Haute (Blatchley); Marion and 

 Crawford counties (Hay) ; Wabash county (A. B. Ulrey). A specimen 

 from Bloomington is 10 inches long. 



Habits. — This is a very active species of lizard, and is found in forest 

 regions, living about old logs and stumps, and under bark. It often as- 

 cends trees, and it would appear that the older individuals spend the 

 greater part of their time there. Hoi brook says of these older ones, 

 called by him P. erythrocephalus : "They choose their residence in deep 

 forests, and are commonly found about hollow trees, often at a height of 

 thirty or forty feet from the ground ; sometimes in a last year's nest of 

 the woodpecker, out of which he thrusts his bright red head in a threat- 

 ening manner to those who would disturb his home. He never makes his 

 habitat on or near the ground, and, in fact, seldom descends from his ele- 

 vation unless in search of food or water. Though shy and timid, he is 

 very fierce when taken, and bites severely." The bite is not poisonous. 

 Of the less mature individuals, Holbrook says that they live mostly on 

 the ground, in holes of stumps, under the bark of decaying trees, and 

 similar places. They seldom ascend trees unless they are pursued. Their 

 food consists of insects. Smith (18, 651), states that this animal lays 

 nine oval eggs at a time. 



Dr. Abbott (7, 34, 170), thinks that^he Blue- tailed Skink has a greater 

 degree of intelligence than the Pine-tree Lizard, Sceloporus undulatus. 

 The latter, on being captured, immediately submits and becomes tame. 

 The Skink, on the other hand, is fierce, and defends itself with vigor. 

 One that he captured and put into a case immediately buried itself and 

 scarcely made an appearance for a week. After it came from its retreat 

 it was suspicious of every object and sound. When it went into its re- 

 treat it never returned by the same burrow, but would stick its head out 

 at another hole and carefully study the outlook. At length it gained 

 sufficient confidence to eat, and in about four months it became compara- 

 tively tame. Its disposition is, in many respects, the opposite of that of 

 the Pine-tree Lizard. 



Dr. J, Schneck (22, 14, 55), mentions some specimens of this species 

 which had the tail forked, as the result probably of a loss and reproduc- 

 tion of that appendage. When these lizards are pursued and caught by 

 the tail, this is very liable to be dropped. The tail is afterward repro- 

 duced, and it seems that occasionally two tails take the place of the lost 

 one. The same observer speaks of the great variations in the color of" 

 this species due to differences in age, and of the aged ones as "ruby- 

 headed and coppei'-bellied specimens, 20 inches in length." 



