HYNOBIIDAE. 511 



are thrown out as they are, or as larvae after being kept some time in 

 the oviduct, I regret very much that I have not had an opportunity to 

 decide. 



"It is very doubtful as to their medical worth, although they have 

 been sold for years under this impression as Magotaromashi and at 

 Hakone, Amaki, and Kuroyama, district of Nikko, they catch them 

 by means of weighted baskets in the breeding season when they migrate 

 along the valley, and preserve them by broiling after killing them in 

 salt water." 



Remarks: This animal is extremely close to the Korean species. 

 Far from being generically distinct it is doubtful if any constant 

 character separates the two species. The Korean form generally has 

 a gap between the vomerine series, one more costal groove, and the 

 light dorsal band is not very distinct. This color character is the best 

 means of distinguishing between the two. So far, none of the main- 

 land adults have been found with claws. But few mainland adults 

 have been found. The larvae of the two forms cannot be separated, 

 save those Japanese specimens which have less than 14 costal grooves 

 and those mainland ones which have more. 



There is considerable similarity between Schlegel's and Tago's 

 account of the habits and one wonders whether Schlegel also did not 

 have reference to Kuroyuwa near Hakone. 



Schlegel's account might be bodily transferred to some of the 

 American mountain brook species. 



It is noteworthy that this animal and fischeri apparently have devel- 

 oped the legs rather than the tail for swimming. For the dispropor- 

 tionate development of the outer toes is always found in aquatic ani- 

 mals which use the legs for propulsion. This development is unique 

 among salamanders, so that for comparison one must refer to Plesio- 

 saurs. 



Besides the localities mentioned in the list of specimens it has been 

 recorded from the following places: 

 Hondo: Mottsu Province, Kitagami Mts. (Tago 1907). 

 Rikuoku " " " " " 



Rikuzen " " " " " 



Iwaki " (Okada 1891); Abukuma Mts. to Taka- 



hara (Tago 1907) . 

 Hitachi Province, northern boundary of Tsukuba Mts. (Tago 



1907). 

 Sagami Province, Hatta, Oyama, (Hilgendorf 1880), Kiwada- 

 sawa, Hatashiku (Tago 1907). 



