144 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [15:4— Apr., 1919 



Mexico. In nature its habits are pretty much in agreement with 

 its several congeners of the genus, and it thrives pretty well in 

 captivity, though perhaps not so well as some other western species. 



The appearance of one of these Horned lizards is well illustrated 

 in the accompanying cut. The specific and subspecific characters 

 of the various representatives of the genus are all well marked; 

 many of them possess a very scaly skin, the scales having different 

 arrangement, coloration, and sizes in the various species. Some of 

 the species have definite patterns on their backs and under parts, 

 rendering their markings worthy of our admiration. Some of the 

 scales in some species support strong, pointed elevations or pro- 

 cesses; while the row of more or less prominent postcephalic 

 "horns" are really the structures responsible for the vernacular 

 name applied to these truly gentle little creatures. 



These lizards bring forth their young alive; and, many years 

 ago, while residing in northwestern New Mexico, I kept in captivity 

 numerous specimens of the form most abundant there (P. d. her- 

 nandesi); to the best of my recollection it was one of this species 

 that gave birth to nearly twenty young one morning in my study. 



In the matter of their diet, Horned lizards are strictly insectivor- 

 ous; and many species of them inhabit various parts of our rain- 

 less, desert regions, where they thrive on the hot sands, the prevail- 

 ing temperature of which would be unbearable for any of us for any 

 length of time. A Mexican form of this genus is entirely lacking in 

 the matter of "head spines;" but, in so far as I am aware, it has 

 not been taken in the United States up to the present time." 



Horned lizards capture their insect food by the aid of their 

 tongue, which is employed in a similar manner and for the same 

 purpose as in the case of our common toads of the genus Bufo. 



That Horned lizards of this genus can squirt blood from their 

 eyes has now been known long, and abundantly proven. 



It is also well known that those species of Phrynosoma which 

 inhabit desert regions have a way of shuffling down in the sand by 

 aid of their lateral projecting scales and the head, and that to a 

 depth of two or three inches, or perchance to only cover itself over 

 the back and tail. This is usually performed rather late in the 

 afternoon, the reptile remaining thus until the following morning. 



If well fed on proper insect food, these interesting little creatures 

 may be kept a long time in captivity, under which condition it will 

 well repay the young naturalist to carefully study their habits. 



