140 VAN DENBURGH — HERPETOLOGICAL NOTES. [April i, 



July 13, however, it became very restless and seriously injured its 

 snout in attempting to fmd some hole through which it might 

 escape from its prison. The next morning — July 14 — to my sur- 

 prise, several eggs were in the box, and the number was added to 

 at intervals until by noon of the next day nineteen eggs had been 

 laid. 



The eggs when first laid are covered with a loose, soft, sticky, 

 parchment-like white membrane. This quickly dries and hardens, 

 shrinking upon the substance of the egg until quite tense, and 

 cementing each egg to the others upon which it is laid. After the 

 membranous shell has become dry it ceases to shrink, and if the 

 substance of the egg be reduced, as by evaporation, wrinkles appear 

 upon its surface. However, the softness of the shell and its power 

 to shrink upon its contents are restored by the application of water. 



The eggs as laid formed a great cluster surrounded by the coiled 

 body of the snake. The latter hissed fiercely when the eggs were 

 removed, although she had not shown the slightest resentment when 

 handled on previous days. 



3. T/ie Breeding of Pleihodon oregonensis. — A female salamander 

 of this species with three eggs was brought to me from Mill Valley, 

 Marin county, Cal., where it had been found April 19, 1896. The 

 gentleman who secured them stated that the salamander and eggs 

 had been found together under a decaying log in the redwood 

 woods. These eggs, like those of Autodax iecajius^ are very large 

 (6 mm. in diameter) and almost or quite without pigment. They 

 were covered with a thin gelatinous coating which caused them to 

 stick together. In my office they were placed with the salamander 

 and some bits of wood and damp moss in a darkened jar. This 

 situation, however, proved to be unsuited to their development, for 

 the eggs soon became covered with mold. The most interesting 

 fact remains to be told. As soon as placed in the jar the salaman- 

 der took charge of the eggs, lying beside them and holding them 

 in a loop of its tail. Evidently dissatisfied with their position and 

 surroundings, the Plethodon moved the eggs from place to place in 

 the jar, holding them always in the crook of its tail. This was 

 done several times in the course of three or four days, and the solic- 

 itousness of the salamander continued until the eggs were quite 

 moldy. Finally the eggs of the cluster were broken apart and one 

 was eaten by the salamander. Thinking it probable that this sala- 



1 See Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. (2), v, 1895, P- 777* 



