1903 Newts in Spring 125 



water to breathe, it can be soon discovered, after a few 

 minutes' watching, whether a certain piece of fresh water 

 contains these creatures or not. With their limbs pressed 

 backwards against their bodies, and propelled by their 

 powerful and compressed tails, they may be plainly seen as 

 they ascend for air. Then, if it is wished, and they happen 

 to be near enough to the bank, they can be captured without 

 difficulty by placing a small land-net under them just before 

 they turn to descend. They also may be caught by tying a 

 worm to a piece of thin string and " fishing " for them. A 

 hungry newt — and a newt seems to be generally hungry 

 during its breeding season — will seize the worm and hold 

 on to it with such bulldog - like tenacity that it may be 

 quietly lifted to the bank. 



As all the British newts readily submit to a life in captivity, 

 their interesting method of caring for their eggs, the growth 

 of the embryo within the egg, and the development of the 

 tadpole, may be easily watched through the side of a well- 

 appointed aquarium. 



Unlike the frog and the toad, the female newt does not 

 lay a second egg until she has carefully secured the safety 

 of the first, and so on, provided that the water contains 

 weeds possessing leaves suited to the purpose for which she 

 requires them. Should there be no leaves which can be 

 made use of by her, she will allow her eggs one by one to 

 drop to the bottom of the water, where they — some of them 

 — will be hatched, provided that they are not eaten by one 

 of their many enemies, such as the water-louse (A sell us 

 aquations), the mud-snail (Limn a: a peregra), tadpoles of frogs 

 and toads, or some other fresh-water scavengers. 



The female newt seems to be very careful in the choice of 

 the leaf in the fold of which she wishes to place her egg. 

 Not only does she smell it and feel it, but even occasionally 

 tests its pliancy by bending it in her mouth. When she has 

 succeeded in finding a leaf which satisfies her, she backs 

 towards it as if to sit on it, but instead of doing so folds it 

 with her hind-feet and deposits an egg within the fold ; and 

 having done this, she will frequently, to make matters more 

 secure, take the folded leaf in her mouth and press it gently 

 and more closely upon the newly-laid egg it contains. As 



