400 



X A TUBAL HISTORY. 



Iii confinement they make rather interesting pets, and soon become 

 acquainted with their owners, and readily take flies from the fingers. A 

 marked peculiarity is their fondness for a gentle scratching or tickling. 

 They express their gratification in the most marked way; they spread 

 themselves out, or blow themselves up, until they resemble the frog that 

 imagined himself as big as an ox. They feed upon insects, and are espe- 

 cially fond of ants. They bring forth their young alive, the number being. 

 in the north, from seven to eight at a birth; but in the tropics they are 

 more prolific, the number being from twenty-five to twenty-seven. The 

 young are exceedingly active from the first, and can run about as quickly 



^3h^ 



fA"'"lhr 



Fio. o4'J. — Horned toad (J'hrynosuimi orbiculare). 



and as well as their parents. There are several species of horned toads. 

 but in the average museum one will usually find them all labelled Phry- 

 nosoma cornutum, utterly regardless of the distinctions between the various 

 species. 



For a long time the inhabitants of our southwestern territories and the 

 adjacent portions of Mexico have related wonderful stories of the poisonous 

 character of the large lizard, known as the Gila monster. Scientific men. 

 however, have been incredulous, for no other lizard was known to be ven- 

 omous. At last the question was settled in a very conclusive manner. 

 Dr. R. W. Shufeldl was handling one of these lizards, in the reptile room 

 of the National Museum, at Washington. He had heard of the poisonous 

 character of the animal, and was very careful; but at an unfortunate 



