100 PHRYNOSOMA CORONATA. 



evident. The tliroat and abdomen are yellowish-white, marked with large dusky 

 blotches, frequently confluent. The tail is coloured like the back above, but is 

 more completely banded, especially towards the tip; its inferior surface is silver- 

 grey, with a few indistinct dusky bars, corresponding with those of the upper 

 surface. The anterior extremities arc light grey above, with dusky bars and 

 bands, and silver-white below. The posterior extremities are coloured like the 

 anterior, both above and below. 



Dimensions. Length of head, 10 lines; of body, from head to vent, 3 inches 2 

 lines; of tail, 1 inch 1 1 lines; of thigh, 1 1 lines; of leg, 9 lines; of tarsus and toes, 

 11 lines; total length, 5 inches 11 lines. 



Habits. The Phrynosoma coronata is similar in its habit, as I am informed 

 by Mr. Nuttall, to the Phrynosoma cornuta. He says its food is invariably 

 insects, and that he has kept them for months in confinement; that they would 

 conceal themselves about his person or about his apartment, but make their 

 appearance at certain times for their food, which they took readily from the hand. 

 When in their wild state they move with great rapidity among the bushes; but 

 when they find they cannot escape by their swiftness, they remain perfectly quiet, 

 and suffer themselves to be made prisoners without resistance. 



Geographical Distribution. The Phrynosoma coronata inhabits the country 

 south of the Oregon river. 



o^ 



General Remarks. This animal was first described by Blainville, from a 

 specimen found in California by Botta; his description is very good, but the 

 figure accompanying it is faulty in many respects, especially in having the 

 superciliary ridge represented with several prominent spines, and in wanting the 

 peculiar serrated margin of the tail. Audubon next gave a good figure of it in 

 his great work on Ornithology, under the name Agama orbicularis, from a 

 specimen furnished him by Nuttall, 



