many kinds, young snails, tadpoles, bits of lean meat, and even dry 

 fish foods. 



There is no better aquarium pet than a Newt. It is vividly color- 

 ed, easily tamed, hardy, and active in the daytime. Since the adult 

 breathes air, a number of Newts may be kept together in one tank. 

 The only special care that must be observed is to prevent them 

 from escaping. A Newt can climb even one of the vertical corners 

 of an aquarium, and the container should therefore have a lid. 



In order to have an attractive display of Newts, plant the aqua- 

 rium rather densely at the ends. The middle should be left open 

 except for a dense clump of fanwort {Cabomba) . The tank should 

 be placed where it gets an hour or two of direct sunlight. A stone 

 or log should project above water. Under these conditions Newts 

 are active, easily seen, and attractive. 



THE AMBISTOMIDS 



(Ambystomidae) 



These are the five-toed salamanders with blunt, flattened, bulldog 

 heads and heavy, bluish black or brownish black bodies, mottled 

 with large spots. Although natural inhabitants of moist forest land, 

 they frequently wander through window holes and into basements 

 when seeking a place to hibernate in the fall. 



Spotted Salamander 

 (Ambystoma maculatum) 



Appearance. This salamander looks like the Tiger Salamander, ex- 

 cept that along its side the bluish black ground color blends with 

 the slaty gray of the belly, and its yellow spots are relatively few, 

 distinctly larger than the eyes, and placed in two rather irregular 

 rows along the back. These spots vary from dull yellow to orange. 

 The head tapers little or not at all toward the back, and the fold 

 at the neck is rather shallow. The toes of this species are long and 

 pointed. 



The newly hatched larva, which is some 12 mm. long, has a 

 slender body. A balancer projects backward from the side of the 



[50} 



