2 LETTER FROM HH, G. W. DES VCEUX. [Jail. 3, 



here as the ' Horned Toad,' hut which is a Lizard (Phrynosoma, 

 sp. ?), having a broad body and short tail, covered all over with 

 homy protuberances, and on the head five or six short and stout 

 horns arranged like a crown. Under certain circumstances, appa- 

 rently as a means of defence, this creature squirts out from one of 

 its eves a jet of bright-red liquid very much like blood. This I 

 have' observed three times from three different individuals, although 

 I have caught many that did not do it. They do not generally use 

 this defence when first captured, although I caught one a few days 

 awo which squirted the liquid a distance of six inches over the back 

 of my hand, and another ejected it when I flourished a bright knife 



before its eyes." 



" October 1870. 



" I have not got hold of a Phrynosoma lately, though they are 

 common both in the mountains and the plains. It is only rarely 

 that you can observe the squirting of the red liquid from the eye, as 

 I have frequently tried to produce it and failed. I think it must 

 come from the eye, as there appears to be no other place where it 

 could come from." * * * * 



" With regard to Rattlesnakes, I have caught and killed dozens 

 of them when I was in the mountains. When first seen or disturbed 

 they are generally coiled up, with the tail erected in the centre of 

 the coil, vibrating rapidly, so that it scarcely appears to move at all, 

 the head slightly erected towards the point of danger. If not im- 

 mediately attacked they will work themselves backwards, without 

 altering the relative position of the head and tail, still rattling. The 

 sound, as near as I can recollect, is more like the singing of a cricket 

 in the fields than any thing else — perhaps not so high a pitch, and 

 a little more tremulous." 



Mr. A. R. Wallace stated that a lady who had resided in the 

 southern states of North America had also compared the sound of 

 the rattle when heard in the woods to the chirping of an insect ; and 

 if this was the case, and the animal made the noise when coiled up 

 and before being disturbed, it would go far to explain the use of the 

 rattle, which would be simply a decoy to insectivorous animals, to 

 enable the sluggish serpent to capture them. 



The Secretary read some extracts from some correspondence which 

 had taken place between himself and Mr. G. W. des Vccux, Ad- 

 ministrator of the Government of Santa Lucia, concerning the best 

 method to be adopted for the destruction of the so-called " Rat- 

 tailed" Serpent (Trigonocephalus lanceolatus), the well-known pest 

 of that and the adjacent West-Indian islands. Mr. des Voeux had 

 inquired whether it would be possible (or if possible, of advantage) 

 to introduce the Mungoose (Herpestes), the Secretary-bird (Secre- 

 tarius reptilivorus), or the Laughing Kingfisher (Dace/o yigas) 

 into the island for this purpose. Mr. Sclater had replied that, under 

 the circumstances mentioned by Mr. des Voeux, he thought that the 

 Mungoose would be the most likely of the three to succeed, but 



