GRAY'S BANDED NEWT. 171 



character, as well as the form of the dorsal crest, and 

 the disposition of the colours, shows this is not the 

 case, and that it is not only a distinct species, but a 

 very distinct genus, as is further proved by M. Duges' 

 figure of the skull.' " * In illustration of the latter 

 remark, we have given wood-cuts of the skull of 

 this species, together with the other British Newts, 

 which have been faithfully copied from M. Duges' 

 treatise in the French "Annals of Natural His- 

 tory."! 



The habits of this species do not probably differ 

 from those of the Smooth and Warted Newts ; but 

 hitherto it has been found so seldom, and the obser- 

 vations have been so few, that beyond its merely 

 scientific character, we have no character to give it. 

 Indeed, in a popular sense we may almost say that 

 it is a newt without a character. So far as genus 

 and species are concerned, it is regarded as very 

 well characterized by scientific men. In this sense 

 we will give its character, as written by Dr. Gray. 



"Pale grey, closely black-spotted. Tail nearly 

 black. Side of abdomen and middle of tail with a 

 broad wide streak, white beneath (belly). Throat 

 black-dotted. Mature male, during the breeding 

 season, with a high-toothed dorsal (back) and caudal 



*Dr. Gray, in "Pmc. Zool. Soc, 1858," p. 140. 

 f Ann. des Sc. Niat., 3rd series, xvii. t. 1. 



