CALIFORNIA HORNED TOAD. Phrynosoma blainvillii frontale Van Denburgh

Field characters.—Body broad and flattened, more than twice as broad as thick, and decidedly oval in outline as seen from above; a row of long slender spines (the 'horns') across back of head; other rows of shorter blunt spines on sides of head, and a double row of short spines along each side of body and tail; back with scattered short pointed spines of various sizes. Under surface of body with smooth scales. Coloration variable, but above usually dusky yellow with a double row of large black patches on back; under surface yellowish, sometimes with small dusky spots.

Occurrence.—Sparse resident in lower western portions of Yosemite section. Known to occur on plains of San Joaquin Valley and found by us near Smith Creek, east of Coulterville. Reported at Kinsley. Inhabits open sandy ground.

The California Horned Toad, which is, of course, not a toad (an amphibian), is so distinctive in appearance that it cannot be confused with any other animal in the region. It is, perhaps, the best known of all the western lizards, and is present in small numbers in the western part of the Yosemite region. The general scarcity of suitable surroundings is undoubtedly the factor which limits the numbers of this animal here. The plains of the San Joaquin Valley where not entirely taken over for agriculture are tenanted by horned toads, and a few dry sandy spots in the foothills also harbor a small population.

Occasional adults of the present species reach a total length of 5 inches, though most of the individuals met with are somewhat smaller. The one specimen obtained by our field party was found near Smith Creek, at about 3000 feet altitude, on June 2, 1915. It measured only 2-1/2 inches in length and was probably a young of the previous year's brood. Its stomach upon examination was found to contain 15 ground beetles measuring about 1/3 inch (7-10 mm.) in length, 2 ants, an unidentified larval insect, and a small pebble, the latter doubtless taken by accident.