HYNOBIIDAE. 483 



snout to vent; head length 3h in length of body; head a broad oval; 

 eye as long as its distance from tip of snout; outline of upper jaw 

 straight as seen from side; angle of jaw back of hind angle of eye; 

 lower eyelid fitting under upper in front and behind; a groove from 

 eye to gular fold; a groove from this down behind angle of jaw; 

 limbs well developed; fingers 3, 2, 1, 4 in order of length; toes 3, 4, 2, 

 5, 1 in order of length; a tubercle under base of first finger and toe; 

 tail shorter than body, thick throughout, ending bluntly, somewhat 

 flattened in distal half; vent a simple slit; vomerine series beginning 

 behind inner edge of nares; a forward incurving branch of 8 teeth; a 

 long straight branch of 27 teeth extending back and slightly in; one 

 tooth on each side in from hind end of series separated from its fellow 

 by half width of nares; series separated from its fellow by length of 

 outer branch anteriorly, and by width of nares posteriorly; length of 

 inner branch equalling distance between outer edge of one nans and 

 the inner edge of the other; blackish, on sides and beneath with large 

 whitish marblings; total length 123 mm., head 18, body 64, tail 41. 



Variation: I append some measurements taken from Boulenger 

 (1882) and from Stejneger (1907). These are in all probability from 

 animals of the original series. 



Habits: I quote the following from Tago (1907). 



"In less elevated regions from the coast to 500 meters above sea 

 level, wherever there is a valley, stream, or pond surrounded by hills 

 and cliffs with cedar, elm, or chestnut trees, we can trace their haunts 

 among moss, dead leaves around swamps, in bushes, under roots, 

 rocks, or in deserted nests of water rats or moles. In short they like 

 damp, shady places where they are free from sunshine. 



" It is hard for us to find them among trees or rocks, but after heavy 

 summer rain storms we can very often find them picking up worms 

 and insects driven out of the ground, or sometimes they are caught 

 by a net in the river where they are driven out themselves by the flood. 



"When a II i/ nob i us naevius is fully grown it starts a life on land and 

 at night, in rain, or on damp days it goes out of its hiding place after 

 food; which consists of worms, insects, and tiny fishes. It enjoys 

 this life all through summer until late in the fall, and about October 



