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1 882.] Zoology, 907 
 
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 (From the American Naturalist, November, 1882.) 
 ZOOLOGY. 
 
 THE BITE OF THE GILA MONSTER (HELODERMA SUSPECTUM). 
 Within the last week the Smithsonian Institution has received 
 from Acting Assistant Surgeon A. T. Burr, U.S.A., now serving 
 in Arizona, a very fine living specimen of this lizard. I under- 
 stand that Dr. Burr has had this reptile in his care for nearly six 
 months, and it arrived here in an excellent state of health. 
 
 Heloderma snspectum Cope is the largest of our North American 
 lizards, and is found all through New Mexico, Arizona, Lower 
 California, and the country to the southward. I have never had 
 the pleasure of seeing this reptile in its native haunts, but have 
 been told by those who have been so fortunate, that it is a won- 
 derfully striking object to behold, as well we might imagine it to 
 be, with its shining and flinty armor of jet-black and brilliant 
 orange, irregularly arranged over its body, darting as it does 
 among the rocks of that arid land. 
 
 The superstitious Indians, and still more superstitious Mexicans 
 that reside in the country where the Heloderma is found, have al- 
 ways regarded it with dread and fear, attributing to its bite the 
 direst venom. Enlightened folk have entertained in their minds 
 doubts upon this subject, indeed I have seen specimens forwarded 
 to the Smithsonian, by collectors from the above localities, com- 
 pletely perforated by a large carbine ball, so careful have they 
 been not to handle this creature alive. In view of these facts 
 then, and this interesting part of its natural history, well authen- 
 ticated cases of bites of this lizard possess sufficient value for 
 scientific record. 
 
 Dr. Burr's specimen is not the first representative of Heloderma 
 that we have received from our vast Southwest, for from time to 
 time quite a number of these lizards have been sent to us alive, 
 and they thrive quite well for a long time, feeding on eggs served 
 to them either raw or hard boiled. 
 
 In removing them from cage to cage, or handling them for 
 other purposes, the utmost care has usually been exercised, due 
 to their doubtful reputation and not over gentle appearance. Mr. 
 Henry Horan, the superintendent of the National Museum, re- 
 ceived on several occasions slight bites from these specimens, but 
 the wounds were never followed by any untoward symptoms. 
 
908 General Notes. [November, 
 
 On the 1 8th inst, in the company of Professor Gill of the 
 institution, I examined for the first time Dr. Burr's specimen, 
 then in a cage in the herpetological room. It was in capital 
 health, and at first I handled it with great care, holding it in rny 
 left hand examining special parts with my right. At the close of 
 this examination I was about to return the fellow to his tempo- 
 rary quarters, when my left hand slipped slightly, and the now 
 highly indignant and irritated Heloderma made a dart forward 
 and seized my right thumb in his mouth, inflicting a severe lacer- 
 ated wound, sinking the teeth in his upper maxilla to the very 
 bone. He loosed his hold immediately and I replaced him in his 
 cage, with far greater haste, perhaps, than I removed him from it. 
 
 By suction with my mouth, I drew not a little blood from the 
 wound, but the bleeding soon ceased entirely, to be followed in a 
 few moments by very severe shooting pains up my arm and down 
 the corresponding side. The severrty of these pains was so un- 
 expected that added to the nervous shock already experienced, 
 no doubt, and a rapid swelling of the parts that now set in, caused 
 me to become so faint as to fall, and Dr. Gill's study was reached 
 with no little difficulty. The action of the skin was greatly in- 
 creased and the perspiration flowed profusely. A small quantity 
 of whisky was administered. This is about a fair statement of the 
 immediate symptoms ; the same night the pain allowed of no 
 rest, although the hand was kept in ice and laudanum, but the 
 swelling was confined to this member alone, not passing beyond 
 the wrist. Next morning this was considerably reduced, and fur- 
 ther reduction was assisted by the use of a lead water wash. 
 
 In a few days the wound healed kindly, and in all probability 
 will leave no scar; all other symptoms subsided without treat- 
 ment, beyond the wearing for about forty-eight hours, so much 
 of a kid glove as covered the parts involved. 
 
 After the bite our specimen was dull and sluggish, simulating 
 the torpidity of the venomous serpent after it has inflicted its 
 deadly wound, but it soon resumed its usual action and appear- 
 ance, crawling in rather an awkward manner about its cage. 
 
 Taking everything into consideration, we must believe the bite 
 of Heloderma suspectum to be a harmless one beyond the ordi- 
 nory symptoms that usually follow the bite of any irritated ani- 
 mal. I have seen, as perhaps all surgeons have, the most serious 
 consequences follow the bite inflicted by an angry man, and sev- 
 eral year; ago the writer had his hand confined in a sling for 
 many weeks from such a wound administered by the teeth of a 
 common cat, the even tenor of whose life had been suddenly inter- 
 rupted./?. W. Shiifeldt, M.D., U.S.A., 22d September, 1882. 
 

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