1 882.] Zoology, 907 



CN1VEBSIT* 



(From the American Naturalist, November, 1882.) 

 ZOOLOGY. 



THE BITE OF THE GILA MONSTER (HELODERMA SUSPECTUM). 

 Within the last week the Smithsonian Institution has received 

 from Acting Assistant Surgeon A. T. Burr, U.S.A., now serving 

 in Arizona, a very fine living specimen of this lizard. I under- 

 stand that Dr. Burr has had this reptile in his care for nearly six 

 months, and it arrived here in an excellent state of health. 



Heloderma snspectum Cope is the largest of our North American 

 lizards, and is found all through New Mexico, Arizona, Lower 

 California, and the country to the southward. I have never had 

 the pleasure of seeing this reptile in its native haunts, but have 

 been told by those who have been so fortunate, that it is a won- 

 derfully striking object to behold, as well we might imagine it to 

 be, with its shining and flinty armor of jet-black and brilliant 

 orange, irregularly arranged over its body, darting as it does 

 among the rocks of that arid land. 



The superstitious Indians, and still more superstitious Mexicans 

 that reside in the country where the Heloderma is found, have al- 

 ways regarded it with dread and fear, attributing to its bite the 

 direst venom. Enlightened folk have entertained in their minds 

 doubts upon this subject, indeed I have seen specimens forwarded 

 to the Smithsonian, by collectors from the above localities, com- 

 pletely perforated by a large carbine ball, so careful have they 

 been not to handle this creature alive. In view of these facts 

 then, and this interesting part of its natural history, well authen- 

 ticated cases of bites of this lizard possess sufficient value for 

 scientific record. 



Dr. Burr's specimen is not the first representative of Heloderma 

 that we have received from our vast Southwest, for from time to 

 time quite a number of these lizards have been sent to us alive, 

 and they thrive quite well for a long time, feeding on eggs served 

 to them either raw or hard boiled. 



In removing them from cage to cage, or handling them for 

 other purposes, the utmost care has usually been exercised, due 

 to their doubtful reputation and not over gentle appearance. Mr. 

 Henry Horan, the superintendent of the National Museum, re- 

 ceived on several occasions slight bites from these specimens, but 

 the wounds were never followed by any untoward symptoms. 



