168 3. IGUANID.^ 



Distribution. — This form has been recorded only from 

 Washoe County, Nevada, where it has been collected at 

 Wadsworth, Derby, and, in the vicinity of Pyramid Lake, 

 at the Indian Agency, Sutcliife, and The Willows. Cope's 

 record of a Holbrookia seen "north of Pyramid Lake" prob- 

 ably relates to this lizard. 



Habits. — Richardson states: "In our experience this 

 lizard was the most conspicuous and the most abundant 

 saurian in the localities mentioned. It occurred in greatest 

 numbers on the sandy desert among low-growing shrubs. 

 It was never seen in the denser growths of Artemisia triden- 

 tata or on rocky hillsides. Like Callisaurus ventralis, it is 

 very fleet of foot, often running a hundred feet or more 

 when frightened. It seldom runs straight ahead of the in- 

 truder, but describes an arc to the right or left. When in 

 rapid motion, the tail was observed raised considerably 

 above the level of the body, but never 'curled up over the 

 back,' as has been described for C. ventralis (Stejneger, 1 893, 

 p. 171). Several times the tail was seen curled over the 

 back, but always when the lizard was moving very slowly. 

 During a light thunder shower many of these lizards 

 buried themselves in the loose desert sand, where they re- 

 mained until almost trodden on before showing themselves. 

 "An individual wounded by Professor Snyder uttered a 

 high-pitched cry when handled, which, he says, was very 

 suggestive of the note of certain Hawaiian geckos. 



"Examination of 7 stomachs indicated that the food of 

 myurus consisted of both animals and vegetable matter, the 

 latter absent from only 2 stomachs. The vegetable content 

 usually consisted of bits of green leaves, although small 

 purple flowers were found in 1 stomach. The identified 

 insects were wasps and grasshoppers . Some spiders were 

 also found, and larvae of many kinds were present." 



