igof\ Brimley — Feeding Habits of Reptiles. 153 



ida Blind worm {Rhineura floridand) which superficially looks 

 more like an earthworm than a lizard, apparently eats earth- 

 worms, as in 1900 I kept some for several months and used to 

 put earthworms in the box of earth in which they were kept, 

 and the said worms uniformly disappeared without leaving- 

 any trace behind. 



Only one other lizard has come under my notice in captiv- 

 ity, viz. : the big- Gila Monster( Heloderna suspectum) of Arizona 

 and this in captivity seems to confine itself mainly, if not 

 entirely to hens" eggs, which when broken on a plate are 

 lapped up by its broad fleshy tongue. My notes on this 

 species are as follows: — 1898, July 9, one large one received, 

 drank water; July 11, ate 3 eggs; July 12, ate two; ate noth- 

 ing from July 13, when he ate one egg, till July 22, when he 

 ate another, not in the meanwhile eating eggs when offered 

 to him. From July 23 to Oct 25 he ate 25 eggs, eating one 

 every three or four days and fattened on the diet. 1899, 

 three Heloderma received May 2, sent off May 9, ate 17 eggs 

 in 8 days. 1899, three more received May 23, sent off May 

 30, ate 21 eggs in 8 days. 



The Testudinata, of which the different species are indis- 

 criminately known as turtles, tortoises, and terrapines the last 

 name being in the South applied to nearly all species except 

 the Snapping Turtle, comprise both omnivorous, carnivor- 

 ous, and herbivorous species. 



The Gopher of Florida {Xerobates polohemus) is a good ex- 

 ample of the first group, feeding only on succulent plants of 

 various kinds, those I had showing most partiality to nut- 

 grass, although they would also eat corn leaves, zinnia leaves 

 and stems, sowthistles (Sonchus) and also apple peel and pieces 

 of apple. Several of the aquatic species are also mainly her- 

 bivorous, especially the Painted Turtle, Chrysemys picta, 

 which in 1900 ate greedily of cabbage leaves, although they 

 also have been observed to eat raw flesh, chicken offal, corn 

 bread, pieces of watermelon and canteloupe. They usually 

 drag their food into the water and eat it with the head under 



