of snake poison, which is acid. It acts beyond these figures are unusually large 

 upon the heart, the spine and the nerve specimens and in very rare instances the 

 centers and causes paralysis. species of our illustration reaches the ex- 

 Other scientists claim the saliva of the traordinary length of two feet. An adult 

 Heloderma is poisonous only in certain Gila Monster weighs about two or three 

 cases and under certain circumstances. It pounds, and in winter less than in sum- 

 may also depend upon the physical condi- mer. 



tion of the victim at the time the venom The four short and stubby legs seem 

 enters into the system. Yet there is lit- quite out of proportion to the massive 

 tie doubt that, if help is not at hand im- body, much more so as the two pairs are 

 mediately, the bite may prove fatal. widely separated lengthwise of the body. 

 The Apaches stand in dire fear of this When walking the body is elevated, while 

 animal, so that, at least, with their older in rest it lies flat on the ground. Each 

 people no amount of money seems tempt- foot is provided with five digits armed 

 ing enough to make them go near it, with curved white claws, 

 much less to capture one. A former resi- The skin has generally the appearance 

 dent of the territories says both Indians as if covered with rows of uniform beads ; 

 and Mexicans believe firmly that if a Gila but, on closer examination, these beads, 

 Monster only breathes in your face it is or more correctly, tubercles, prove to 

 quite sufficient to cause immediate death, have different shapes and are differently 

 On an old Indian trail, a good day's jour- set, according to the part of the body 

 ney west from the present site of Phoenix, which they cover. On the head from the 

 can be found, crudely outlined on the face nose up to between the eyes they are flat, 

 of a rock, the picture of two Helodermas irregularly cut, closely joined and ad- 

 pursuing a man who runs to save his life, here completely to the skull. Those fol- 

 Numerous hieroglyphic inscriptions tell lowing form polygonal eminences, each 

 probably the story of the event and prove one separated from the other by a circle of 

 not only the prehistoric origin of this tiny dermal granulations, while behind 

 primitive piece of art, but also the errone- the eyes on both sides of the head they are 

 ous ideas which were prevalent in these larger, semi-spherical and stand far apart, 

 remote times, for the reptile never attacks The throat and the nape of the neck are 

 and never pursues. It is safe to say that studded with very closely set small tuber- 

 trie animal has been vastly misrepresented cles, increasing in size only above the fore- 

 at all ages. legs, whence they extend in well-defined, 

 Nature has kindly provided the Helo- transverse rows along the whole upper 

 derma with a compensation for its par- side of the body and the tail. The under 

 tially undeserved bad reputation in giving side of the latter and the abdomen are 

 it beauty. For whosoever looks upon a covered with tessellated scales of a light- 

 fine specimen with unprejudiced eyes can- brown and dull yellow color arranged in 

 not fail to admire at least the combination another handsome pattern, 

 of its colors and especially the odd, ca- A Heloderma's head, with its triangular 

 priciously disposed markings; the deli- shape, is very like that of a venomous 

 cately tinted skin, studded in transverse snake ; it gives the animal especially 

 rows with shiny tubercles, like so many when it is raised in anger a truly awe- 

 beads on strings. inspiring appearance. 



The illustration to this paper is so ex- The wide-cleft mouth reaches far be- 



cellently made that scarcely any descrip- hind the eyes. These are very small and, 



tion is necessary as to the animal's ex- like all lizards, provided with eye-lids that 



terior in color and markings. This Helo- close when the animal sleeps. The eye 



derma is a little over nineteen inches in itself has a dark-brown iris, with the 



length by ten inches in circumference of round pupil that indicates diurnal or at 



the body and five inches at the thickest least semi-nocturnal habits. Between the 



part of the tail, which makes one-third of nostrils, well in front of the blunt nose, is 



the total length of the body. When such a wide space. The nostrils are so far down 



a reptile grows to the size of eighteen as to nearly touch the margin of the su- 



inches it is called adult. Those growing pra-labial scales. This position denotes 



83 



