34 University of California Publications in Zoology [Vou.9 
to prove the boy’s statement. If the fact can be verified that a 
juvenile can eject blood as well as an adult, the theory that it 
is a habit only used during the breeding season would seem to 
be disproved. 
A few generalizations on this habit may be of interest. 
Although cases are not rare where the lizard ejects blood on being 
caught, yet in two eases when success attended the experiment, 
the lizards were awakened from the stupor brought on by the 
night. The eyelids, on being sectioned, were found to be highly 
vascular and to contain large blood sinuses. Especially was this 
true of the upper lids. No duct was found and it seems probable 
that the blood is foreed out by the rupturing of a vessel. H. L. 
Bruner (1907), in a paper on the ‘‘Cephalic Veins and Sinuses 
of Reptiles,’’ gives the best explanation yet advanced. He says, 
in speaking of Phrynosoma, ‘‘It is not improbable in this case 
that the mechanism for elevating the blood-pressure is used as a 
fright mechanism. Such a function, however, is not sufficient to 
explain the wide distribution of the mechanism. On the con- 
trary, it is probable that the flooding of the cephalic sinuses for 
frightening enemies is at best only a secondary use which has 
been acquired by relatively few forms.’’ 
These lizards show great aversion to dogs. When angered 
by one, the lizard presents a very bristling appearance by elevat- 
ing the enlarged scales of the back, opens its mouth and gives a 
hissing noise by quickly expelling the air from the lungs. At 
such times it stands well upon its legs and puffs itself up to 
nearly twice its natural size. <A blainvillei, when first caught, 
often hisses at any moving object. 
At the sight of a snake, however, instead of standing its 
ground and attempting to frighten the intruder, it generally 
seeks to escape. A small California ring-neck snake (Diadophis 
amabilis) when placed in a cage containing several of these 
lizards, created no little excitement. When the excitement had 
somewhat quieted down, two of the lizards became courageous 
enough to take a nip at its tail. This would in a measure seem 
to corroborate the statement that has been made that these 
animals attack a snake when cornered. 
The food consists principally of ants, although the smaller 
