Teacher's Leaflet. 1119 



(14). How many times during its life does the orange eft change 

 color? What part of its life is spent upon land? What changes take 

 place in its form when it leaves the water for its land life, and what 

 changes take place when it returns to the water? 



Facts for Teachers. — While these little creatures are commonly called sala- 

 manders they are not true salamanders, and it is much better to use constantly 

 the words newt or eft in speaking of these animals to the children. The newts 

 do not rain down but rain up instead, for if one of them has a journey to make 

 it can make it only when the ground is wet, as it would dry up if it were not 

 surrounded by moisture. Thus the eft never makes a practice of going out except 

 when it rains. A closer look at an eft shows many peculiarities in its appear- 

 ance to interest us. Its colors are certainly gay, the body color being orange with 

 Vermillion dots along each side of the back and each red dot margined \vith 

 tiny black specks ; but the eft is careless about these decorations and may have 

 more spots on one side than on the other. Besides these vermillion spots it is also 

 adorned with black specks here and there and along its sides looks as if it had been 

 peppered. But the newt's special beauty lies in its eyes ; these are black with 

 elongated pupils almost parallel with the length of the head and bordered above 

 and below with bands of golden shining iris, which give the eyes a brilliancy most 

 fascinating. The nostrils are mere pinholes in the end of the snout. 



The legs and feet look queerly inadequate for such a long body for they are 

 short and far apart. There are four toes on the front feet and five on the hind 

 feet, the latter being decidedly pudgy. The legs are thinner where they join the 

 body and wider toward the feet. The eft can move very rapidly with its scant 

 equipment of legs. It has a misleading way of remaining motionless for a long 

 time and then darting forward like a flash, its long body falling into graceful curves 

 as it moves. But it can go very slowly when e.xploring and puts out its little 

 hands cautiously and will lift its head as high as its short legs will allow in order 

 to take observations. Although it can see quite well, yet on an unusual surface, 

 like glass, it seems to feel its way by touching its lower lip to the surface as if to 

 test it. The tail is flattened at the sides and is used to twine around objects in 

 time of need, and I am sure it is also used to push the eft while crawling, for it 

 is curved this way and that vigorously as the feet progress and push against the 

 ground. Then, too, the tail is an aid when by some chance the eft gets turned over 

 on its back and with its help can right itself speedily. The eft's method of walking 

 is interesting; it moves forward one front foot and then the hind foot on the other 

 side ; after a stop for rest it begins just where it left off. Its beautiful eyes 

 seem to serve the newt well indeed, for I find that when it sees my face approach- 

 ing the moss jar it climbs over to the other side. There are no eyelids for the 

 golden eyes but the eft can pull them back into its head and close the slit after 

 them, thus making them very safe. 



The eft with whose acquaintance I was most favored was not yet mature and 

 was afraid of earthworms, but was very fond of plant-lice, and it was fun to see 

 tiie little creature stalking them. A big rose plant-louse would be squirming 

 with satisfaction as it sucked the juice of the leaf, when the eft would catch sight 

 of it and become greatly excited, holding its breath evidently as the pulsating 

 throat would be rigid. There was a particularly alert attitude of the whole front 

 parts but especially the eyes and the head ; then the neck would stretch out long 



