72 REPTILES AND BATRACHIANS 



animal revived and commenced to run about the table. 

 Wishing to knovv^ if he would repeat the operation, I 

 commenced to irritate him again in the same manner. 

 After becoming enraged again, it went through the same 

 process, ejecting blood from the same eye as before. He 

 then fell into a similar stupor, and remained about the 

 same length of time, after which he revived. No amount 

 of irritation could possibly produce a third discharge, 

 although the animal showed anger." This habit of dis- 

 charging jets of blood has been observed on several occa- 

 sions, and it has been suggested that it may be of use to 

 the lizard in interfering with the clearness of vision of 

 pursuing enemies. 



With the exception of one or two species, the Horned 

 Lizards produce their young, numbering up to twenty- 

 five, alive, the horns of the newly born reptiles being as 

 much developed proportionately as in the adults. 



The family Zonurid^, which forms a connecting link 

 between the Iguanidce and the Anguidce, resembling the 

 former in the short, thick tongue, and the latter in various 

 cranial characters, offers an example of the gradual reduc- 

 tion of limbs, some species having all four well developed, 

 while in others they are rudimentary or even entirely 

 absent. 



In the type genus Zonurus, the body and tail are covered 

 with bony plates under the scales, forming longitudinal 

 and transverse series, the horny coverings of which are 

 often produced into spines. 



The Giant Zonure, Zonurus giga?iUus, a large and 

 formidable member of the family, inhabiting the greater 



