g2 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



Color. — A broad, light reddish stripe commences at the nape and 

 continues to the tip of the tail, where it diminishes gradually in 

 width. The central region of this stripe generally exhibits a fine 

 mottling of brownish, scarcely obscuring the effect of the red ground 

 color. The sides of the body are abruptly and continuously dark 

 brown, which soon fades into the pepper and salt of the lower sides 

 and belly. The color of the red stripe varies considerably and turns 

 yellow in alcohol. 



Size. — Length from end of snout to posterior end of vent 50 mm., 

 tail from vent 50 mm. Total length 100 mm. 



Habitat. — Cope states in his Batrachia of North Amer- 

 ica, on page 134, "This species is found throughout the 

 United States east of the Mississippi Eiver. It appears 

 to be more abundant in the Middle States; its northern 

 range is to the middle of Maine, Ontario, and Michigan." 

 I was, therefore, very much astonished when my late 

 friend, Mr. Colton Russell, brought me a fine specimen 

 from Creve Coeur Lake, St. Louis Co. This was the first 

 report of the species west of the Mississippi River. Mr. 

 Russell presented me afterward with specimens which he 

 had collected in Jefferson and Madison counties, Missouri. 

 I have never yet found an Ashy Salamander, Plethodon 

 cmereus, west of the Mississippi. So far I have found 

 P. erythronotus in the eastern hilly part of Missouri, from 

 the Missouri River south to Farmington, St. Fran- 

 cois Co. When once a locality has been discovered, the^f 

 are generally found to be quite abundant. 



W. H. Smith in his Tailed Amphibians states on page 

 65 *'It is found in moist woody places, hiding under stones 

 and old logs, and when discovered if alone, it quickly dis- 

 appears in the decayed wood moss or earth, but if accom- 

 panied by its young neither it nor the little ones attempt 

 to escape. It climbs glass by adhering with its abdomen, 

 is frequently curled up on herbs, and if disturbed springs 

 away by a sudden uncoiling. Their food appears to be 

 small snails and mollusks. When young they are found 

 as a rule accompanied by the parents. The little ones 

 as well as their eggs occur under the moss and bark of 

 decayed trees. The eggs are found in bunches of from 



