TEXAS NATUEE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 161 



A few miles further on he came 

 across an old Mexican who, living 

 near the river in an adobe hut, 

 was also the 'fortunate and opulent 

 possessor of a donkey and cart. 



"With these latter the two men 

 returned at once to the cavern, 

 when James' body was placed on 

 the cart and driven to town. Be- 

 fore leaving the place, 'however, 

 Farthingay made a thorough 

 search of the cavern, and discov- 



(river this sp^-ing. There is no 

 known antidote for their poison." 



' Lately, January 16, 1913, I had 

 the pleasure of meeting Mr. W. E. 

 Marsh, who has had a pet Gila 

 reptile for several years and, at 

 request, Mr. Marsh kindly fur- 

 nished me with the following in- 

 teresting data concerning this ob- 

 scure animal: 



"The Gila Monster is found on 



Gila Monster 36 Years Olp. (Specimen Owned by Mr. Marsh. Photo by the Writer.) 



ering a female monster with six 

 newly born young ones, killed the 

 entire lot. The mother, though 

 shot nearly to pieces, made an as- 

 sault on the hunter, but his heavy 

 hunting boots prevented her from 

 biting him. The old Mexican who 

 had assisted Farthingay and his 

 friend's rapidly decaying body to 

 town, declared that James was the 

 fourth man who had beeti killed 

 by these deadly creatures on the 



the Gila ri-vei^ in Arizona and no 

 other place in the world. In spring 

 and the summer months they feed 

 on bird eggs, and lay up through 

 the fall and winter months in the 

 crevices of the rocks, without food 

 or Water. They are very slow and 

 sluggish, but with a hostile dispo- 

 sition; and they seem to have no 

 fear, and will bite at the first op- 

 portunity; but after handling 

 they become very gentle. Their 



