66 ON THE "GIL A MONSTER." 



"in the Territory from bites of this reptile, it should set 

 "at rest, at once and forever, the theory so prevalent that 

 " their bite is not poisonous." 



For comparison with the foregoing we may bring for- 

 ward the evidence of a couple of witnesses of scientific 

 reputation. They have no. interest in destroying the char- 

 acter of the accused and may be expected to give testimony 

 without prejudice. If they are less positive in their as- 

 sertions than the preceding, it is possibly due to their act- 

 ual acquaintance with the creature. 



Dr. F. Sumichrast under date of 1880, in the Bulletin 

 do la Societe Zoologique de France, page 178, remarks 

 concerning Heloderma horridum: "J'ai pen de chose a 

 " ajouter aux observations de moeurs que j'ai publiees sur 

 "cette espece, il y a quelques annees, si ce n'est, qu'aprcs 

 "de nouvelles experiences sur sa morsure, je suis arrive a 

 " la conviction qu'elle occasionne rarement lamort chez les 

 " auimaux d'uue certaine taille et que, la plupart du temps, 

 " elle u'est suivie que d'une enflure de la partie mordue qui 

 "disparait au bout de vingt-quatre heures an plus ; c'est an 

 " moins le seul efFet qu'elle ait produit sur plusieurs jeunes 

 " chieus que j'ai fait mordre dernierement." 



Dr. R. W. Shufeldtis one who, from having been incau- 

 tious enough to get bitten, is entitled to speak with some 

 degree of assurance. His statement is found in the Amer- 



o 



ican Naturalist for 1882, page 908. He was bitten on the 

 right thumb, the teeth going to the bone, by a specimen 

 at the Smithsonian Institution. The lacerated wound was 

 in a few moments the starting point of severe shooting 

 pains that passed up the arm and down the corresponding 

 side. A profuse perspiration was induced. The pain 

 made him so faint as to fall. The hand swelled rapidly, 

 but the swelling went no farther than the wrist. The 

 treatment included suction which drew not a little blood 



