1911] Bryant: Horned Lizards of California and Nevada 33 
1898). As has already been noted (p. 18), its occurrence so far 
north, however, is somewhat doubtful and certainly rare. 
Hasirs 
P. blainvillet blainvillei, next to P. cornutum, the Texas 
horned lizard, is perhaps the best known member of the genus, 
for this is the one largely used by the curio dealer. Then, too, 
it is easily domesticated and can be kept in captivity for a long 
time, if properly fed. 
It is from this species that most of the knowledge in regard 
to the ejection of blood from the eyes has been derived. This 
habit was early discovered by the Mexicans, who called this lizard 
the ‘‘sacred toad’’ because it wept tears of blood. Nearly every 
small boy in the region where this species is common knows of 
the phenomenon and can usually cite definite instances when a 
“ 
horned lizard has “‘spit blood.’’ 
The writer has several times witnessed this strange habit. 
The first indication of the phenomenon to be noticed is a swelling 
of the eyelids to two or three times their natural size, so that they 
bulge from the head. During this procedure the eyes are tightly 
closed and the animal remains perfectly quiet. Suddenly a fine 
stream of blood shoots up from beneath the upper eyelid, usually 
with force enough to send it six or eight inches before dividing 
into fine drops. In one instance the blood was squirted about 
fifteen inches. Sometimes the blood is ejected so suddenly that 
the first indication of it is its contact with the observer’s skin 
or a few drops left on the eye of the lizard. Dr. Hay (1892) 
states that in a specimen of P. blainvillei frontale the phenom- 
enon was repeated several times. In the writer’s experience a 
specimen could not be induced to eject blood again from the 
same eye, at least, until some time had elapsed. 
Miss Myrtle Johnson, carrying on some experiments with 
Phrynosoma blainvillet blainvillei at San Diego during the early 
part of July, 1911, induced a specimen to eject blood. The first 
indication noticed was the presence of blood on the hand. <A 
juvenile not more than one and one-half inches long was brought 
to her by a small boy with the report that it had ‘‘spit blood.’ 
Circumstantial evidence in the form of blood on the eye seemed 
