TAXONOMY, LIFE-HISTORY, AND GENERAL 9 



as far south as Palestine, Algeria, and Tunis. Very favourite locali- 

 ties are the Hartz mountains and the Heidelberg district of Germany, 

 as well as many parts of the Black Forest, where it is very common 

 (PL XXV, fig. 83). 



Good accounts of the life-history and habits of the species have 

 been given by Gadow ( 1 90 1 ), Werner ( 1 9 1 2), and Schreiber ( 1 9 1 2), 

 the last named being particularly detailed. 



7. Parasites and Diseases. 



The most troublesome disease to which Salamanders are subject 

 in captivity is that caused by a fungus, Monilia batrachea^ Scott, 

 which first attacks the lips (the hands and feet are first attacked in 

 Frogs and Toads), causing open sores to appear. If unchecked 

 the fungus finally ramifies throughout the body, even to the 

 internal organs, e.g. liver, kidneys, &:c., and is fatal. It is very con- 

 tagious and the only effective method of sterilization of vivaria, 

 apparatus, &c., is the painter's blow-lamp, or if accumulator jars are 

 used (and these make by far the best vivaria and are least likely to 

 become infected) repeated scrubbing with absolute alcohol has 

 proved effective. The disease is curable, if taken in time, by painting 

 the parts affected with 'Mercurochrome' applied with a camel-hair 

 brush about three times a week. Cases must of course be isolated 

 immediately. I The aetiology of the disease has been worked out by 

 Scott (1926). 



Of the animal parasites of the Salamander the Protozoa are 

 represented by a coccidian, Eimeria salamandrae^ Steinhaus, which 

 infests the epithelial cells of the gut. Among the Helminths repre- 

 sentatives of the Trematodes, Cestodes, and Nematodes all occur. 

 Von Linstow (1878-89) gives the following: 



TREMATODES. 



Distomum cygnoides^ Zed. in the urinary bladder 

 Distomum crassicolle^ Rud. in the intestine and rectum 

 Distomum endolobum., Duj. in the intestine 

 Distomum glabrum^ Creplin. in the intestine 



nematodes: 



Oxysoma brevicaudatum^ Zed. in the intestine 

 Strongylus auricularis^ "Zed. in the intestine 

 Nematoxys commutatus^ Rud. in the intestine 



' The author is indebted to the late Dr. Joan Procter, formerly Curator of Reptiles 

 at the Zoological Society's Gardens, Regent's Park, London, for the practical notes 

 on this fungoid disease, which are the outcome of experiments carried out in her 

 laboratory. 



