1911] Bryant: Horned Lizards of California and Nevada 3 
Dr. J. A. Long of the University of California, Mr. Joseph 
Grinnell of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, and to Professor 
J. O. Snyder of Leland Stanford Junior University, the author is 
greatly indebted for use of material and for valuable suggestions. 
Thanks are also due Miss Elizabeth Heald for the text figures. 
GENERAL DISCUSSION OF THE GENUS 
GENERIC CHARACTERS 
The southwestern part of the United States, with its warm, 
dry climate and great deserts, affords most favorable conditions 
for many of our reptiles. Among the Lacertilia to be found in 
this locality, no group is so unique and specialized as the genus 
Phrynosoma. The members of this genus are easily distinguished 
from the other lizards by their flat, oval bodies, covered with 
keeled, spiny scales, and by their cirelet of horns upon the head. 
Their round pupils, numerous series of ventral scales not 
abruptly smaller than the laterals, notched tongue and femoral 
pores, place this genus among the Iguanidae. The presence of 
horns, however, widely separates the genus from the remainder 
of this family. 
The members of the genus Phrynosoma are commonly known 
as “‘horned toads.’’ The first part of this name describes these 
lizards very well, but the last is a misnomer for they bear no 
close relation to the batrachians. No doubt their sluggish habits 
and method of obtaining food by means of a viscid tongue, offer 
an explanation for this misnomer. From a scientific standpoint 
the name “‘horned lizard’’ is far more appropriate. 
HisroricaL Discussion 
Clavigero (1780), in his ‘‘Storio del Messico,’’ deseribes and 
figures a Mexican horned lizard. He deseribes it thus, ‘‘It is 
remarkable for its shape, being perfectly round and cartilaginous ; 
the body is six inches in diameter; the head is hard and spotted 
with various colors.’’ His crude figure shows eight spines on the 
occiput and six transverse bands on the back. Hernandez (1790) 
also describes and figures a horned lizard from Mexico. Both of 
these men gave it the Mexican name, Tepajaxin. Later, several 
others (Barton, 1807?; Wood, 1871) used this term specifically. 
