KEPXILE^ 



82o 



aiul from tlie natural breeding grounds of wild ducks and geese. The 

 most effective means of doing this would he to lind their nesting hanks 

 and destroy the eggs or eatch the turtles at night, when they leave 

 the wattM- to lay. A female may jiroduce from 'J to I do/rn eggs. The 

 soft-shelled terraj>in { Aspiihmectcs firoj) is said to he tin- hrst of all the 

 fresli-watt r forms, t^xm tin- shell, properly cc^jked, heing eonsidered a 

 <hdieaev. 'Ihev are. lntwever, vicious destroyers of tishes and waterfowl. 



Any of the smaller mud, or jiond, terrapins, paint<'d or s|M)tted, and 

 the land tortoises, offei* interesting problems in the study (»f foo<ls 

 and }>ossil)le edibility. The cojumon box tortoise (^Cishnln ctintliiifi) 

 makes an interesting pet, and its apjietite for slugs renders it a vahi- 

 able assistant to gardeners. The goj^her tortoise {I'tsfw/n jtnlt//>/<' nms) 

 of the South may attain a 

 weight of 1.") jtoumls. It is 

 eonsidered edible. 



The annual eateli of food 

 turtles, terrapins, and tortoises 

 amounts to about l,l(i(i.ooo 

 pounds, valued at SllT")(M), 

 What it might be if these re- 

 .souroes were })ro}>erly haiuUed 

 has never been estimated. 



Lizards — Lacertilia. Tbc Kk.. i.'.h. Cninuion li/.anl 



lizards are an i-ffectiM' in- 

 sect police for hot, dry habitats not covcrtMl by ani[diil»ia. 'IMiey 

 are ditficnlt to kcc}) in a laboratory, l)ut if wf have a .-iunny 

 window, in wliicli we can imitate desert condition.^, we may 

 make valnable feedinu' tesl.s with a nnndn-r of the eonnnoner 

 fonns — the Idne-tailed lizard, or skink {, F.itiiinux Uisfiutux), 

 the fence swift {Sccloporus uii'/iihif}fs)^ and one of the liorncMl 

 toads, or the eluiineleon ( Aii'ilis rtfrolinriisis). This may bidp 

 us to realize the im[)()rtanee of tin- o-ronp in nature. Li/ar<ls 

 areclearlv distiuixnished from all salamanders of somewhat sim- 

 ilar form by beino- covered with seale.s. Xoiu* of our 1>7 species 

 of small, aorile lizards are in any way harmful or dangeroits. 

 The Gila monster (Hehxlenna .'<t(spcrfum^ of tlie arid South- 

 west is the one venomous lizard native to the UnitiMl States. 



