1869.] 249 [Allen. 



Ancistrodon contortrix Baird and Girard. Prof. A. E. Verrill 

 writes me: "Tliere is, or tvas a specimen of Ancistrodon contortrix in 

 the Museum of Comparative Zoology, collected at the Blue Hills, 

 Milton, Mass., where it is said they are not uncommon. That is 

 probably its most eastern locality known. It is not rare here." [New 

 Haven, Ct.]. 



Scaphiopus Holbrookii Baird. Respecting this species, Prof. 

 Verrill writes me: "I notice that you mention the occurrence of 

 Scaphiopus last season not only in the ' old locality,' but in the pools 

 and ditches about the Museum ! This is quite interesting to me, inas- 

 much as I took the trouble in the spring of 1860, or 1861, to introduce 

 from the ' old locality' a large number of the eggs, and a few old ones 

 of both sexes, at several points in those ^'ery same pools and ditches. 

 But as I had heard nothing of them since, I supposed that the 

 experiment was a failure. But it seems now that it was probably a 

 success! My object was mainly to provide against the probable de- 

 struction of the species about Cambridge, by the progress of improve- 

 ments, and the filling up or draining of the ' old locality.' " 



Hemidactilium scutatum Tsch. Prof. A. E. Verrill, among 

 other notes kindly communicated respecting the reptiles occurring 

 about New Haven, observes: " Among our Batrachians 1 find nothing 

 of sjiecial interest except Hemidactilium scutatum Tsch., which ap- 

 pears to be not uncommon here. 



Amblystoma opacum. Prof. Verrill, writing from N. Haven, 

 says that it " is not rare. The other salamanders and frogs, so fax as 

 observed, are those commonly seen about Cambridge." 



Diemyctylus miniatus and D. viridescens. Prof. Verrill 

 also adds that he " found D. miniatus among the mountains of Essex 

 Co., N. y., quite common (more so, in fact, than I have ever seen it 

 elsewhere). Therefore," he observes, "it is decidedly a member of 

 the Canadian Fauna. I cannot agree with Prof. Cope in regarding 

 this as a form of D. viridescens. I have had a pair of the latter in 

 confinement this fall, taken after the frosts set in." Respecting this 

 pair he gives the foUoAving interesting observations: "Soon after I 

 got them, the male commenced to embrace the female persistently, 

 clasping her, as usual in this species, with his hind legs back of her 

 fore legs. His hind legs soon became much larger and stouter, 

 and the inside became black and callous, and his color became 

 darker generally, while the blood vessels of the female became turgid 

 with blood, especially about the abdomen, and the anal region of both. 



