HYNOBIIDAE. 



503 



appressed toes, the exceptions being the type and No. 25949, which 

 last is the only one to have 13 costal grooves, the rest having 14. 

 Measurements of three males : 



Japan" 



Cal. Acad. Sci. No. 35391 total 114 mm. head 14 

 " 25948 " 120 " 14 



" 25950 "US "14 



Habits: Yamada (1903) made some observations on this species 

 which he says is called "Hatake dojo" by the Japanese, a name 

 meaning "Field Loach" owing to a real or fancied resemblance to the 

 "Dojo," or Loach, a kind of small fish. He says that the toes have 

 "a certain clasping power at the extreme end so that they can climb 

 up an almost perpendicular surface." They are often found "under 

 a pile of old bricks and stones when there is sufficient dampness." 

 Their food is "small insects or worms, especially the latter." "Dis- 

 position like a crab, as they like to be under cover of some object." 

 " When they see a worm their eyes stand out and slowly getting near 

 to it they suddenly seize it just as a frog does. The breeding season 

 is May, when they go into a ditch where they find sufficient water. 

 Their eggs are white and small, and are wrapped in chain-like groups 

 by a gelatinous substance, the strings being about the size of a pencil. 

 When the young are hatched they are about J inch long. It is 

 doubtful whether they have balancers or not." "Very often while 

 young they change their skins, which habit becomes less frequent as 

 they grow old." " As people use this animal for medicinal purposes it 

 is quite hard to get them." 



Remarks: This animal differs from its near allies sufficiently to 

 merit recognition. From tsuensis of Tsu-shima South, it can be told 

 by the much flatter tail, and by the fact that the males are not black; 

 from nchiilosus of Kiusiu by the flatter tail, which has black sides; 

 from the Iki-shima and Tsu-shima North forms, by the flatter tail and 

 by the coarser marbling. It is not close enough to any other forms to 

 cause confusion. These five, however, have the vomerine series 

 practically identical. The Hondo form has an extremely flat tail, 

 while the other four differ mainly in color, and although they can 

 easily be told apart it is difficult to formulate descriptions as there is 

 much variation. The five form a closely allied group of which the 

 Hondo form is the most specialized. 



I refer Abe's " H. naevius" from Bingo to this form. It had short 

 vomerines, lacked the tail, the appressed toes did not meet, and there 



