TRITON CRISTATUS. 261 



during the period when the animals keep in the water, 

 especially in the breeding season. 



Triton cristatus. 



Triton cristatus, Dum. et Bib. vol. ix. p. 131 ; Sciiinz, Europ. Faun. 



Tol. ii. p. 59 ; Buon. Faun, Ital. (figured) ; Bell, Hist, 



Brit. Eep. 

 The Warty Newt. 



DESCEirTiojf. — Head depressed ; snout obtuse and rounded ; 

 gape extending a little beyond the eyes ; a collar beneath 

 the neck, formed by a loose fold of the skin ; fore-feet ex- 

 tending a little beyond the snout ; hind-feet placed along 

 the side, reaching to the base of the toes of the fore-feet ; 

 tail very much compressed, its edges sharp above and below, 

 lanceolate, gradually tapering to a blunt point ; skin warty, 

 uniformly covered with scattered pores ; a row of pores on 

 each side of the head, and also along each side of the body, 

 forming a hue between the fore- and hind-legs ; in the male 

 the abdomen is rather shorter, compared with the entire 

 length, than in the female ; the back, in spring, has a high 

 membranous crest, nmning from between the eyes to near 

 the tail, which last has also a crest like the dorsal ; both 

 are serrated and jagged, the latter the most so. The upper 

 parts are blackish bro^Ti, with round spots of a darker 

 tint ; breast and belly bright orange, or orange-yellow, 

 with conspicuous round black spots, sometimes confluent, 

 and forming interrupted transverse bands; sides dotted 

 with white ; often a silvery white band along the sides of 

 the tail; the membranes are dusky, tinged with violet. 

 Eemains almost continually in the water. 



Entire length, 5 or 6 inches. 



This is probably the most common European species ; is 

 found all over the Continent, from Italy to Sweden ; in 

 England is less frequent than T. punctatus ; very common 



