14 THE SALAMANDER 



(Seoane, 1884). This might almost be described as a sub-variety 

 of the forma typica, since a practically uninterrupted series can be 

 traced between the two forms, both of which occur on the Peninsula. 

 Two descriptions of this type may be quoted. The first, by Bedriaga, 

 states that the colour and pattern of this variety is rather variable. 

 The ground colour is usually greyish-brown, sometimes of a more 

 dirty grey, sometimes more brownish-black or even black, and is 

 broken up above and below by pale yellow spots with the addition 

 of grey or greyish-brown spots, into which the yellow passes gradu- 

 ally. The yellow spots on the sides of the body, the limbs, the tail, 

 the paratoids, the throat and on the eyelids, are as if powdered over 

 with red dust, or washed with red, or even blood-red. The throat 

 may sometimes be a deep red colour, and the dorsal spots show here 

 and there a red dot. The yellow spots are very variable both in 

 number and size. The second description by G. A. Boulenger 

 concerns some specimens kept at the Zoological Gardens. He 

 says that some specimens were black, variegated with various tints 

 of grey, brown, pale yellow, and crimson. The latter colour was 

 particularly conspicuous on the upper eyelids and the paratoid glands, 

 the base of the limbs and the throat, but it appeared as small patches 

 within the area of the more or less irregular pale yellow spots with 

 grey centres which were dispersed very irregularly on the body and 

 tail. One of the specimens was pale olive-grey above, and on the 

 sides freckled with black and pale greenish-yellow spots, the black 

 appearing as an irregular vertebral stripe, a dorso-lateral stripe, and 

 bars on the flanks. The upper eyelids, the paratoids, and the throat 

 were claret-red. The coloration of such a Salamander has a lichen- 

 like appearance more suggestive of assimilation to surroundings than 

 of warning to enemies. E. G. Boulenger discussing this type says: 



'On careful examination of the red and grey markings in these specimens 

 I have come to the conclusion that these are due, not to special pigments in 

 addition to or in combination with the yellow, as has been supposed, but to 

 the absence of pigment, the pigmentless flesh highly flushed with blood being 

 exposed on certain patches and the grey colour resulting from the absence of 

 yellow combined with a small quantity of black pigment.' 



Forma typica also occurs all over the Peninsula side by side with this 

 variety. 



3. Variety Taeniata. 



The variety which is commonly imported into this country and on 

 which the present investigation has been carried out is the variety 



