20 



to the groin 6 or 7 times. Snout rounded. Lower jaw slightly project- 

 ing beyond the upper. Mouth small. Tongue of moderate size, oval, the 

 papillary folds arranged pinnately on each side of a conspicuous mediaa 

 groove. Palatine teeth extending little, if any, beyond the choanse ; 

 forming a nearly straight line across the palate, or with an obtuse angle 

 pointing forward. 



Body with 14 costal grooves, and a slight dorsal furrow. Tail a little 

 longer than the distance from the fore to the hind limbs ; nearly cylin- 

 drical at the base, becoming flattened toward the obtuse tip. Limbs 

 short and weak, failing much of meeting when laid along the side. 



(Skin smooth and slippery, and with numerous minute mucous pores. 



The color above is a dark brown or black, paler below. In alcohol 

 there is sometimes a tinge of red. All over the body, but especially 

 along the sides, there are numerous mildew-like specks of gray. 



The extreme length may become as much as six inches. 



This species has been found inhabiting the country from Ohio to 

 South Carolina, and west to E. Kansas and Louisiana. It has also been 

 brought from about Hudson Bay. 



In some parts of Indiana it is an extremely abundant species. It is 

 the commonest species of Urodele about Irvington. I saw, it in Mr. 

 Sampson's collection at New Harmony, Dr. Ridgway collected it in 

 numbers at Wheatland. It has been taken at Terre Haute by Profs. 

 Evermann and Blatchley, and at Brookville by Mr. A. W. Butler. 

 One specimen in the Terre Haute Normal School collection from How- 

 ard County. 



I have been enabled to study this species with some care, and I shall 

 detail its habits somewhat, since they will illustrate the habits of other 

 species of the genus. 



The Small-mouthed Salamander spends the winter months in and 

 about the borders of stagnant ponds. I have had it taken in midwinter 

 from under ice over which boys were skating. It was captured under 

 such circumstances on January 6, 1886, and again February 6, 1889. 

 These winters \yere rather mild, and the ice not thick. As soon as the 

 ice is melted they begin to lay their eggs, and it is no unusual .thing to 

 have the ponds frozen solidly again after some eggs have been deposited. 

 Some specimens in captivity laid their eggs in the middle of January. 

 Ovoposition more commonly occurs during the month of March. It 

 may continue for a space of at least three weeks. 



The eggs proper are quite small, being about one-twelfth of an inch 

 in diameter. Each egg is surrounded with a capsule of gelatine, which 

 on coming in contact with the water swells up and becomes about a» 

 large as a hazel-nut. By means of this gelatinous mass the eggs are 

 cemented to one another and to leaves of grass, sticks, and other objects 

 in the water The eggs may be deposited singly, but more commonly 



