24 INEZ L. WHIPPLE. 



water, an experiment which I made by blowing water in through 

 a capillary tube inserted into the naris. The individual thus 

 treated merely experienced considerable inconvenience for a few 

 minutes in his efforts to remove the water from the nasal pas- 

 sages, an end which he finally accomplished by swallowing forci- 

 bly. After a few minutes he was breathing air as usual. 



I am convinced, however, that the respiratory functions of 

 lungless salamanders are not as yet fully understood and it is very 

 probable that further experimentation may reveal conditions 

 under which the ability to promptly resume aerial respiration is a 

 matter of great importance. 



Another possibility suggests itself as an explanation of the need 

 for the naso-labial apparatus. These animals are nocturnal in 

 their activities and it is probable that in their search for food they 

 are largely dependent upon the sense of smell. If so, their suc- 

 cessful search would be much interferred with by even a tempo- 

 rary cessation of bucco-pharyngeal respiration, since it is by 

 means of this act that the odors reach the nasal epithelium. In 

 view of this supposition a device for quickly freeing the nares of 

 water would be of the greatest importance, since in these noctur- 

 nal excursions the animal must be constantly wetting the head 

 with drops of dew. 



The question naturally arises as to the conditions in the one 

 species, Salaviandrina pcrspicillata, which is known to be lungless 

 and yet to possess no naso-labial groove. I have unfortunately 

 been unable to obtain living specimens of this European form. 

 It is said, however, to have a bucco-pharyngeal aquatic respira- 

 tion and in that case would not be expected to have a highly 

 specialized apparatus for maintaining a dry condition of the nasal 

 passages. In all events, its lungless state was acquired more re- 

 cently than that of the Plcthodotitidic and Desmognathidce and 

 quite independently of them, and may have been the result of very 

 different conditions. 



Throughout the investigations involved in this article I have 

 been much helped by the advice and criticism of Dr. H. H. 

 Wilder, and I wish here to express my gratitude to him for the 

 assistance thus rendered to me. 



