HEEPETOLOGY OF JAPAN". 5 



salamander inhabits liigh mountain valleys, where it frequents the swift- 

 running brooks of clear cold water from the mountain springs. These 

 streams are quite shallow, have stony beds, seldom attain a width of 

 more than a few meters and are for the most part shaded with shrubs 

 and trees. The temperature of the water in the middle of August 

 was found to be between 17° and 23° C. Here they keep themselves 

 habitually in dark holes under rocks, along the banks or the middle 

 of the stream, and cavities inhabited by one of these animals may be 

 recognized by the bottom at the entrance being kept clean. They 

 feed on fishes, fi-ogs, crustaceans, earthworms, etc, and are easily cap- 

 tured by a baited fishhook thrust into the retreat of the sluggish 

 animal. The flesh, wliich is eaten by the Japanese, is said to be 

 delicious, and is also used for medicinal purposes. Another mode of 

 capturing the salamander during the breeding season is to throw into 

 the stream a strong-smelling mixture of various animal ingredients 

 made into small balls, thereby enticing the animals out of their holes. 

 As a result, the "hanzaki" is constantly becoming scarcer. Only the 

 smaller and medium-sized individuals stay in the small, shallow 

 streams, the big old monsters of 3 feet and more seek deeper water 

 lower down. The eggs are deposited in August and September in 

 the deep holes. They vary as to size and number according to the 

 size of the female, and consist of an outer gelatinous envelope or cap- 

 sule 16 to 20 mm. long, in which the spheroid egg floats in a clear 

 fluid. Each capsule is connected with the next by means of a com- 

 paratively short string about equaling the length of the larger axis 

 of the embryo, the whole dej)osit resembling a rosary in form. 

 Kerbert estimates the number of eggs deposited by the female in the 

 Amsterdam Aquarium at about 500. Ishikawa found 60 to 80 in the 

 various holes examined by him. The entire develoj^ment from the 

 deposition of the eggs to the escape of the larva from the capsule lasted 

 in captivity from fifty-two to sixty-eight days, the escaping larvse 

 measuring about 30 mm. in length. At this time they have external 

 gills; the anterior extremities show indications of two fingers and the 

 posterior limbs are indicated ; the mouth which is still plainly ventral 

 becomes gradually terminal. The gills seem to disappear when the 

 young are between 200 and 250 mm. in length. Both Ishikawa and 

 Kerbert maintain that the adult animal takes care of the eggs, wrap- 

 ping the egg string around itself and by its movements keeping the 

 mass in motion so as to facilitate the respiration process of the eggs 

 and embryos ; but they difl'er in opinion as to whether it is the male 

 or the female who thus undertakes the care of the offspring, Ishikawa 

 from observations in nature maintaining the latter, Kerbert from the 

 behavior of the animals in the aquarium the former. 



