200 SOME EXPERIMENTS WITH THE 
In 1857, Dr. J. E. Gray, of the British Museum, wrote : 
“« This lizard is said to be noxious, but the fact has not been distinctly proved.’’ 
Seven years after this there appeared a popular account of the habits of the Mexican 
species (HZ. horridum), in which M. Sumichrast, after dwelling at some length upon the 
general habits of the animal, wrote: 
“‘ In support of this pretended malignity, I have been told of a great number of cases in which ill effects 
were produced by the bite of the animal, or by eating its flesh in mistake for that of the Iguana. I 
wished to make some conclusive experiments on this point; but, unfortunately, all the specimens which I 
could procure during my stay in the countries inhabited by it were so much injured that it was impossible to 
do so. Without giving the least credit to the statements of the natives, I am not absolutely disinclined to 
believe that the viscous saliva which flows from the mouth of the animal in moments of excitement may 
be endowed with such acridity that, when introduced into the system, it might occasion inconveniences, the 
gravity of which, no doubt, has been exaggerated.”’ 
Prof. Cope, in 1869, stated : 
‘« That though the lizards of this genus could not be proven to inflict a poisonous bite, yet that the sali- 
vary glands of the lower jaw were emptied by an efferent duct which issued at the basis of each tooth, and 
in such a way that the saliva would be conveyed into the wound by the deep groove of the crown.”’ 
Six years later Dr. Yarrow said: 
“« Tt is believed to be very poisonous, but such is not the case; for, although it will bite fiercely when 
irritated, the wound is neither painful nor dangerous. . . . . The Pueblo Indians of this place said they 
were quite common, and were regarded by the Mexicans as poisonous; the poison being communicated by 
the breath as well as by the teeth. This has no foundation in fact.’’ 
The same year, M. Bocourt published some notes which he had received from M. 
Sumichrast, who, having finally been able to make a few experiments, concludes : 
““ Quoique ces expériences soient insuffisantes pour prouver que Ja morsure de |’ Héloderme est véritable- 
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ment venimeuse, elles me paraissent assez concluantes pour faire admetire qu’elle ne laisse pas de causer 
de trés-rapides et profonds désordres dans |’économie des animaux qui en sont |’objet. . . . . 
““ Je ne doute pas que des expériences, faites avec des individus adultes et nouvellement pris, ne pro- 
duisent des effets beaucoup plus terribles que ceux qu’oat pu occasionner Ja morsure d’un individu jeune et 
affaibli par une captivité de prés de trois semaines.’’ 
In 1882, several opinions were published on each side of the question. A Helo- 
derma, which had been received at the Zodlogical Gardens in London, bit some small 
animals, and because these died several English writers—as Giinther, Boulenger, and 
Fayrer—concluded that the Monster was poisonous, while some American authors haye 
thought that death in these cases might have resulted from the mechanical injuries 
received. The American Naturalist noted that “ Dr. Irwin, U. 8. A., experimented with 
the H. suspectum in Arizona, fifteen years ago, and concluded that it was harmless.” 
