loa 



XOT:^ OS OTTAWA SAI.\MANDI':n^;; 



^A^^i 



tl8RMR 



r. Tl. Latchkoiu), r..A. 



{/u-U'I 27th Jimu>nj, 1S87.) 



Vpiteiirale a im.ils ai*^ nsnally aiTMiiL^ed liy nut uiiilists in five 

 Ciii.sses inaniinals, li'i-ls, ie|)tilf's, aii<.|jl]iliians \\\\>\ fislivs To the 

 foiii'tli of tlu'se (li\i.s!o;is the sal iiiiaiidors bcloji;,' 'I'iif-v \ -.wv. tlie 

 j^eucrnl Un-^\ of !izM(l>-, ;.): rluti^ated liody, fonr feet, and a 1 iig tail; 

 l)ut tlieir lioiy is ii.dcHi niid not covered wiili pcales, and tin- r lieaft, 

 like tliMt of tlic ro</s. ii,i< iiit one ;nii'icle, wliile the liearl of tlie lizards 

 and otliei- tiiie ri')> ih's li.is tsvo. Widle many species of salamanders, 

 after 1:( C'niinL' ;idiilt. mvei- V'Soit to the water except to deposit, their 

 ewof.s. a'] i).-ss there th^ ( itvlicr stages of their existence luid there 

 undersfo a seiit s of nniaikahlo cliMiu'es of fi^rn). It w^is fbrnu rl v a 

 widely jiievalent opiiiion tluit the salau^.andt rs were veiy poinoiious ; 

 and in air-ient natural iiis'ory many astonisliing iiistnnces are recorded 

 of their poisonous (pialiiies and of their powers to withstand the action 

 of lii'<'. Th V ari'. Iiowevcr, almost, if not quite, innoenous. Tlie 

 sto ifs iidat-tl (if ih.ir aj^-icHrance in the midst of blazing logs in fir- - 

 plac-s and their e.scitpn unharnu'il through the flames are not without 

 fouiKJation in fact. ^everal Sjiec^ies live > ui ied deep in decaying wood, 

 and shoni I a log containing them he placed on the hearth and li^ditci^, 

 thev natiiiMlly endeavour to make their way to cooh-r (jiiarteis tit; 

 a'lniiiiant visci i fluid which they se.ci-eti; all ovei their body enabling 

 them to rc^ist tiie to a i onsiderable extent and i:i many !nstanc" tu- 

 rn ike ood their e-icapf. 



Si.K species have iieen noii/ed in tie- vicinity of (^ttiwa. The 

 Spotted Sdamauder {Aiiibli,sluin i j>iiiict(tt,ain, Linn) is the largest 

 species found in this vicinity where it is not iinconinion. I lia\c taken 

 it .)!! the MciCav Kstate, on the (Janal !Iai:k near Dow's Lake and in 

 the Laiio-nlides at (J-ntley. Ir irnaHy aitnins a length of six inches, 

 an I I have one specimen which nicUsuies ei^dii. Tt.-> cohiur above is a 

 daik violet wit!i nnmcroni irregular bright \el!ow spo's. Barton, who 

 Wiis the fiist in Ann'iica to dfScrit.c this pecies, called it the P- isonoiis 



Sdammd.-r (>'. vi.'i'iio-<i , lait ;t is quite as h inn less.- as oth. i species. 

 II 



