10 



HAKDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



A PEW OESERYATIONS ON THE SMOOTH 

 NEWT.-No. 2. 



{Lissotriton pundatus.) 



HAVING given, in a recent number of Science- 

 Gossip, a short description of the eggs and 

 very young tadpole of the Smooth Newt, I shall 

 now add a few observations on the habits and food 

 of the adult female Newt while in confinement. 



As was previously stated (page 127, last vol.), I 

 obtained the Newt in the end of May, and it was in 

 mypossessionuntil July 20th, in the evening of which 

 day it clambered up the side of a small aquarium, 

 in which I had put it for the purpose of closer ex- 

 amination, and escaped; and, notwithstanding a 

 long and careful search, was never seen again. This 

 was the more remarkable as its escape was soon 

 discovered, and it would find some difficulty in 

 making an egress into the open air. During this 

 period it spawned, and, to my knowledge, twice 

 cast its skin. The first time was on July 16th. 

 When I first observed it, the old skin from off the 

 head was lying on its neck, much resembling a 

 piece of soiled gossamer twisted around it ; in a 

 short time it had got it down to the hind quarters ; 

 and on again looking some time after, I found that 

 it had divested itself of it altogether, and that the 

 cast skin was nowhere to be seen. The upper web 

 of its tail was now wholly gone ; the under one 

 nearly so. When got, both were well developed. 



On July 19th it again cast its skin. This time I 

 saw the whole operation, which was both interesting 

 and curious. On first observing it, it was rushing 

 wildly about amongst the roots of the plants and 

 stones at the bottom of the aquarium, apparently 

 attempting in this manner to get rid of the old 

 skin, which was now, as in the former instance, 

 lying on the neck like a piece of ravelled gossamer. 

 In a few minutes it succeeded in getting it down to 

 its hind legs, when it immediately turned round, 

 and, seizing the skin in its mouth, divested itself of 

 it altogether, drawing out the feet and tail, and 

 leaving the slough in the exact shape of these 

 members. It had no sooner got rid of the old skin 

 than, still retaining its hold, it commenced making 

 a meal of it, and had it not been for the colour, one 

 might easily have imagined it devouring one of its 

 own species, so like the real reptile did the slough 

 of the hind legs and tail look, as, still distended 

 and of the natural shape, it slowly disappeared 

 down the Newt's throat ! Erora the time it was got 

 until June 17th I never observed it show any incli- 

 nation to be out of the water, or even to remain at 

 the surface, generally swimming about or resting 

 among the plants. When wishing to breathe, it 

 would rise to near the surface, and, after a few 

 moments' rest, suddenly jerk its head above the 

 water, withdrawing it again as quickly. Some- 



times it swam with ease : at other times it appeared 

 to have some difficulty in rising to the surface 

 clinging to the plants to aid its upward progres- 

 sion. Once when the water was renewed we were 

 obliged to take it out of the aquarium, as it could 

 not rise to the surface, and appeared to be com- 

 pletely exhausted with its fruitless endeavours. 

 This I thought might be owing to the change of 

 temperature, as nearly all the water had been drawn 

 off and replaced with fresh, which would be con- 

 siderably colder ; the temperature in which the 

 aquarium is kept being comparatively high. In the 

 evening of June 17th I observed it on the highest 

 point of the piece of rockwork, out of the water. It 

 appeared in the attitude of listening, with the head 

 a little inclined to one side, and the throat moving 

 rapidly and continuously, and remained so for a 

 considerable time. There was thunder in the air at 

 the time. Was this strange behaviour consequent 

 on atmospheric influence ? Hence, until the 9th 

 July, it often showed considerable anxiety to be 

 out of the water, and was so most part of several 

 days. During this period the weather was very 

 changeable, with a good deal of thunder. 



I will now give the few notes on the subject of 

 its food, as noted down iu diary, premising, how- 

 ever, that up to the commencement of those notes 

 its food had consisted of small earth-worms : June 

 8th. — The Newt not having had any worms for the 

 last few days, appeared viciously hungry, snapping 

 at the tadpoles' tails as they passed its ever- 

 changing lair amongst the plants. One of the tad- 

 poles had lost half of its tail, and several more their 

 tail-tips, which I conceived must have been bitten 

 o(f by the Newt. Taking it out of the aquarium, I 

 placed it in a basin, putting in at the same time a 

 worm, which it soon discovered, and, seizing it by 

 one end, swallowed it iu a series of jerking gulps. 

 Immediately prior to this I had, on two several oc- 

 casions, put into the aquarium small earth-worms. 

 It did not, however, as usual, take them, although 

 evidently aware of their,'presence ; its vision was 

 apparently, circumscribed. June 10th. — To-day it 

 seized a piece of raw lean mutton, which had been 

 put in for the tadpoles, and attempted to swallow 

 it, but it being too large, was obliged to disgorge it 

 again. Ouce before it swallowed a piece of gristle 

 which had lain iu the aquarium several days, and 

 was much attenuated by the tadpoles feeding upon 

 it. Hence, until June 23rd, it was fed on worms, 

 and raw and cooked mutton. The meat I cut into 

 long thin pieces, worm-like, and which it readily 

 took from the points of a pair of scissors, discussing 

 it in the same manner as it did a worm, June 25th. 

 — Very activeto-day ; more so than usual. It hunted 

 a tadpole (frog) which had got all its legs, and con- 

 sequently was less active than its fellows. Once it 

 caught it by one of the hind legs, but, after severe 

 struggling, the tadpole managed to escape; again it 



