13. PHRYNOSOMA 399 



of their keeper. Individuals which have been recently 

 caught, however, often show considerable anger when han- 

 dled, puffing themselves up and hissing fiercely, seizing 

 their tormentor's fingers with their impotent jaws, or throw- 

 ing at him a stream of blood from the corner of the eye. 

 It is said that the Mexicans call them sacred toads because 

 they weep tears of blood. The best account of this most 

 curious habit has been given us by Dr. O. P. Hay*, who, 

 writing of a specimen of Phrynosoma b. frontale, says, in 

 part: 



"About the first of August it was shedding its outer 

 skin, and the process appeared to be a difficult one, since the 

 skin was dried and adhered closely. One day it occurred 

 to me that it might facilitate matters if I should give the 

 animal a wetting j so, taking it up, I carried it to a wash- 

 basin of water near by and suddenly tossed the lizard into 

 the water. The first surprise was probably experienced by 

 the Phrynosoma, but the next surprise was my own, for on 

 one side of the basin there suddenly appeared a number of 

 spots of red fluid, which resembled blood. * * * A micro- 

 scope was soon procured and an examination was made, 

 which immediately showed that the matter ejected was really 

 blood. * * * There appeared to be a considerable quan- 

 tity of the blood, since on the sides of the vessel and on the 

 wall near it I counted ninety of the little splotches. * * * 

 The next day * * * I picked up the lizard and was hold- 

 ing it between my thumb and middle finger, and stroking 

 its horns with my fore-finger. All at once a quantity of 

 blood was thrown out against my fingers, and a portion of 

 it ran down the animaPs neck, and this blood came directly 

 out of the right eye. It was shot backward and ap- 

 peared to issue from the outer canthus. It was impos- 



*Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XV, 1892, p. 375. 



