The Horned Lizards 



actual horns. On the lower jaw are two rows of enlarged, very 

 keen-edged plates, which, instead of being parallel with the 

 lower lip plates as with other species, extend obliquely from 

 them, downward. The central chin scales are small and of 

 uniform size. The scales of the abdomen are strongly keeled. 



The back of this species is quite smooth, and sprinkled 

 with enlarged, keeled scales laying quite flat against the skin. 

 There is no margin of spiny scales. Lacking the head spines 

 and bristling, spiny exterior of most of the species, the aspect 

 is very toad-like. 



The tail of the female is much shorter than the male. 



Colouration. Sandy red, with obscure, dark cross-bands 

 on central portion of the back. 



Dimensions. Total Length (Male Specimen) .... 4 inches. 



Width of Body if 



Wi&bofHead. i| " 



Length of Head | 



Distribution. But two specimens are known a male and 

 a female. They were taken in Mexico, in the state of Sonora, 

 a short distance south of the southern border of Arizona. 



Habits. The writer has observed but one living specimen. 

 It was an interesting creature and lived about a year. It 

 would feed only when the sun was shining brightly upon the sand 

 of the cage, when it took large ants, grasshoppers, crickets and 

 mealworms. The ants were snapped up in a manner appealing 

 much to the habits of the true toads namely, the bending of 

 the head downward toward the prey, the instant protrusion 

 of a pink tongue and the sudden disappearance of the insect 

 in a movement so quick that the human eye was unable to fol- 

 low it. This movement was attended by a single gulp on the 

 part of the reptile. There was no subsequent mastication. 

 The swallowing of larger prey was attended by a curious series 

 of manoeuvres. There was the same momentary, downward 

 pointing of the head and the prey was conveyed to the jaws 

 like a flash, but as it was too big to be drawn entirely into the 

 jaws by the action of the tongue, it was roughly masticated 

 and worked into the mouth by an extraordinary process of wip- 

 ing the jaws from one side to another upon the sand and with 

 such vigor and rapidity that numerous grains were thrown 

 against the glass sides of the cage. After swallowing a large 



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