508 DUNN. 



black above, lighter below a light dorsal streak from head to tip of 

 tail, total length 136 mm., head 15, body 58, tail 63. 



The larvae have dorsal fin only on tail; there is a fold of skin along 

 the outer edge of arms and legs. There is great variation in color, 

 some larvae having a marked dorsal light stripe, while others do not. 

 All have black claws. 



Schlegel (1838) says that the larvae and the breeding males and 

 females have claws. Troschel, in 1S77, claimed that the claws are 

 confined to larvae and males, as his series of females had no claws. 

 Stejneger (1907) shows that breeding females are provided with 

 claws, and suggests that males have claws the year round and females 

 have them only in the breeding season. Three clawless males, Cal. 

 Acad. Sci. No. 26709-11, from Sawatari, Kotsuke Prow, Hondo, 

 taken in September seem to indicate that Schlegel was right and that 

 claws are seasonal and possessed at times by both sexes. 



The vomerine teeth do not always meet in the median line, being 

 sometimes separated by the width of the nares. 



The fibulo-tarsal dilation of the male is supposed to be present only 

 in the breeding season, but was very noticeable in the clawless, Sep- 

 tember males mentioned above. 



The anus of the breeding female is very similar to that of the male, 

 but never so developed, and the posterior pair of lateral slits join the 

 longitudinal one in the middle of its length, instead of near its front 

 end. 



Tago's smallest larvae were 25-30 mm. long. His smallest trans- 

 formed specimens were 60-65 mm. long. He says they grow to 180 

 mm. Troschel (1S77) records larvae 87 mm. long. The males are 

 in general the larger. 



Habits: Schlegel (1838) says; "The Japanese call this salamander 

 San-sjo-uwo, but in the mountains where it lives, they call it by the 

 Chinese name of Kao chou youen he yu, which means black fish of the 

 mountain springs. 



" It is found particularly in mountainous country. 



"Those which come from Mount Facone are very celebrated, and 

 are sold in Pharmacies as Fakone-no-san-sjo-uwo. They attribute to 

 them medicinal qualities analogous to those of the giant salamander, 

 and their use is particularly recommended as a vermifuge for children. 

 ' This species frequents the sources of brooks and damp places in 

 the mountains. It usually stays in the cracks of cliffs near these 

 places and only comes out in the evening to seek its food, which is 

 small mollusks, terrestrial and aquatic insects and worms. So, during 



