778 The American Naturalist. [September, 
3. Names of lizards. Dr. Robinson writes Guana uniformily 
for what is now called the Iguana; and for what Gosse writes 
Galliwasp (Celestus occiduus), Robinson has Gully Wasp. In 
another place Robinson calls the same lizard Gully Asp, 
which explains at once the origin of the name. He observes: 
“The lizard tribe in general have nothing poisonous in their 
bite, but the Gully Wasp isstrongly suspected. Cattle and 
mules are said to be often bit by them and so swell and die." 
‘This notion reminds one of that current in New Mexico, of 
the fatal effects of Phasmids on cattle when eaten by them. 
4. The Gully Asp, Celestus occiduus. 
“The Gully Asp inhabits morasses and the banks of rivers, 
and gullys in the plains and mountains. They live upon fish, 
* fruit and even human excrements. They stand upon the 
banks of rivers, etc., and watch for the fish coming within 
reach, when they suddenly spring upon them into the water 
and bring them out in their mouths to the shore, where they 
eat them. I have been informed that they are oviparous and 
lay eggs as big as those of a pullet, but I have not yet seen 
them. I have often been inform’d that no animal will eat the 
carcass of this creature, and the following instance seems to 
prove them unwholesome : 
“ Dr. David Miller inform'd me that a few days ago an ac- 
quaintance of his in his way to Mr. Miller's happen'd to kill a 
small Gully Wasp of about fifteen inches long and brought 
him to his house and flung him into an inclos'd square where 
he kept a young alligator of about five feet long. "The alliga- 
tor immediately swallow'd the Gully Asp. This was about 11 
o'clock in the forenoon. About four hours after, the alligator 
(Robinson writes it aligator) was observ'd to jump and flounce 
about the square, knocking its head and tail against the stock- 
ades, seeming to be quite mad and frantie with pain, and con- 
tinued in the manner till night, when he died. "Therefore, 
the Dr. concluded that the Gully Asp had poison'd him; he 
says besides that no creature will touch the dead Gully Asp. 
it should seem that most animals by a natural instinct shun 
the carcass, and therefore avoid the certain Gepienetion that 
would happen to them by eating them. 
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