PALMATED SMOOTH-NEWT. 



159 



tail is also lessened by about one-fourth of its vertical 

 depth. The palmation of the hinder feet of the male is 

 completely altered ; instead of being webbed like a duck's 

 foot, it has now each toe simply fringed with skin, and the 

 fringes are joined at the bases of the contiguous toes. The 

 ridges on the back do not alter, and the caudal filament 

 remains undiminished." 



The palmation does, however, in some instances remain, 

 with scarcely any change, up to the commencement of 

 winter. 



The colour of the male and its markings are somewhat 

 duller in the winter than in the summer, but this change is 

 much less considerable in the present species than in L. 

 punctatus. The female, as in the other species, undergoes 

 no seasonal change. 



