HYNOBIIDAE. 465 



pairs of limbs. At the same time I found sacks in the open, in ponds 

 near Lake Schartasch about six versts from Ekaterinburg, which still 

 contained larvae. These were ripe for emergence. They were dis- 

 tinctly backward in their development compared with those shown me, 

 which is probably to be explained by the cold weather of last May in 

 East Russia." 



" All the larvae whose emergence I had the opportunity to observe, 

 agreed in breaking out of the lower part of the sack. Larvae from the 

 same sack, were often not equally developed, as appeared best in the 

 gills. This unequal development seems to me accounted for by the 

 position of the sack, one end of which is placed in the influence of the 

 warmer weather, while the other is much deeper in the water. 



" The newly emerged larva is about 10 mm. long and is marked by 

 the length (1 mm.) of the balancer. The gills of the more advanced 

 ones bear two or three filaments apiece; the gills of the less advanced 

 only two on the second gill. The fore-limbs are visible as little 

 knobs." 



The egg sack, as figured by Shitkov, bears a striking resemblance 

 to that of //. naevius, as figured by Tago (1907). 



Kastschenko (1896), "found the animals in May near Tomsk on 

 the ground near a pond under the dead leaves of the last fall. 



" They do not enter the water save for breeding. 



"The eggs are laid near Tomsk in the middle of May. They are- 

 always in a transparent sausage-shaped bag, which is fastened to 

 plants under water, near the surface, usually 1-2 vershok (2-4 inches) 

 from it, and not deeper than j the depth of the water. Two bags are 

 together, probably laid by one female. The gelatinous walls of the 

 bag can support all the movements of the water, but when taken out 

 they separate on account of their own weight. The bag is somewhat 

 spiral, so that there are narrow and wide places. 



"They are fastened to any under water plant or dead branch fallen 

 from the surrounding trees. 



" The end of larval life and the time of leaving the water is at Tomsk 

 during the first days of August." 



Remarks: I am unable to distinguish between the Kamchatkan 

 specimens and those from southeastern Siberia. There seems to be 

 no break in the distribution, and I have seen no evidence of local 

 differences. 



This animal is quite distinct and there is no danger of confusion 

 with H. Icechii of Korea. It is the only member of the genus with a 

 light dorsal band. Its relations seem remotely with leechii of Korea 



