mewing for several hours, as if in extreme pain. The dead specimens
sent to Europe have been carefully examined as to the character of the
teeth. Sections of these have been made, which demonstrate the
existence of a canal in each, totally distinct from and anterior to
the pulp cavity; but the soft parts had not been examined with
sufficient care to determine the existence or non-existence of any
poison gland in immediate connection with these perforated teeth until
Dr. Gunther's observations were made, as described by Dr. Wilson.

Hitherto, as noted in a previous article, American naturalists have
regarded the heloderm as quite harmless--an opinion well sustained by
the judgment of many persons in Arizona and other parts of the West by
whom the reptile has been kept as an interesting though ugly pet.
While the Indians and native Mexicans believe the creature to be
venomous, we have never heard an instance in which the bite of it has
proved fatal.

A correspondent of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, "C.E.J.," writing from
Salt Lake City, Utah, under date of September 8, says, after referring
to the article on the heloderm in our issue of August 26:

"Having resided in the southern part of this Territory for
seventeen years, where the mercury often reaches 110° or more in
the shade, and handled a number of these 'monsters,' I can say
that I never yet knew anybody or anything to have perished from
their bite. We have often had two or three of them tied in the
door-yard by a hind leg, and the children have freely played
around them--picking them up by the nape of the neck and watching
them snap off a small bit from the end of a stick when poked at
them. We have fed them raw egg and milk; the latter they take with