148 Notes. [v^, 



Vict. Nat. 

 1. XXXVI. 



Abnormal Tadpoles.- — The tadpoles exhibited to-night were 

 hatched from spawn l:)rought from Cheltenham early in 

 September, 191 8, for the purpose of providing food for Japanese 

 and English newts. A number of tadpoles always get missed 

 by the newts, and these soon grow to a size that makes them 

 immune from attack. Larvae thus missed often remain as 

 tadpoles through the winter months. This retarded meta- 

 morphosis is in itself remarkable, especially as the majority 

 of these over-wintered larvae grow to a larger size than those 

 living under purely natural conditions. It can easily be 

 seen on inspection that these two-season larvae differ con- 

 siderably in appearance from the normal specimen exhibited. 

 There is an interesting specimen in the jar having a large 

 external respiratory siphon that reminds one of the mohusca, 

 and, in addition, has a hooked process growing midway on its 

 tail. Others, again, are very small in the head and body but 

 have extremely long tails. The conditions under which these 

 tadpoles live appear to be excellent, the water being sweet 

 and clear, as it must be, otherwise the newts would not keep 

 in such perfect condition and breed so freely. The food supply 

 for tadpoles is also abundant, as boxes and pots of Vallisneria 

 spiralis and other aquatics are used for ox^^genating the water. 

 From the appearance of the bodies of some of these larvae, 

 one is inclined to think that the contraction of the abdomen 

 may be due to the shortening of the intestinal canal owing to 

 the external metamorphosis being long overdue, while the 

 internal change is going on to fit them for a carnivorous diet 

 in place of their present herbivorous one. Possibly some 

 member of the Club may be able to throw some light on these 

 phenomena of retarded metamorphosis, which, although a 

 puzzle to me, has been going on for years with tadpoles used 

 in connection with the feeding of newts. The larval condition 

 of these tadpoles will persist until late in autumn, and occasion- 

 ally two or three will remain in the larval condition over the 

 second winter. — H. W. Davey, F.E.S. 



[This note in explanation of Mr. Davey' s exhibit at the 

 October meeting of the Club {Vict. Nat., xxxvi., Nov., 1919, 

 p. 99) has unfortunately been overlooked. — ^Ed. Vict. Nat.] 



" Sydney Mail " Nature Notes. — In its enlarged form the 

 Sydney Mail devotes two pages weekly to " Outdoor Australia " 

 — a series of notes and queries by various writers, in which 

 many remarkable happenings are chronicled, some, of course, 

 with a tinge of doubt attached to them. The pages are well 

 illustrated, and should give an impetus to nature observation in 

 the mother State. 



