^74 TAILLESS BATRACHIANS. 



ditches and ponds, in whicli it may be seen throughout the summer, 

 crawling on the bottom, climbing the stems of plants, swimming 

 with a wriggling motion through the water, or coming to the surface 

 to breathe the air. The male frequently displays the under-sm-face 

 of his body, which is of a rich orange, studded over, as is the olive- 

 coloured back, with round black spots. His tail in spring time is 

 bordered with a tin-like expansion, and is often tipped with bright 

 red and violet. The female deposits her eggs on the leaves of aquatic 

 plants, which she folds up in a curious manner, and glues together 

 as a protection to the soft and shell -less eggs. There is a curious 

 superstition cm-rent among the Irish peasantry : — They believe that 

 this Newt has a propensity to jump down then* throats, make a 

 lodging in theii- stomach, and to multij^ly there in a frightful manner. 

 The remedy is to find a stream running dii-ectly south, and to 

 lean over it with the mouth open, when the " efts " will come out, 

 one by one, and plunge into the water ! 



Tailless Bateachia {Anoura).^ 



The total absence of the least vestige of a tail, and 

 their short, squat, broad shape, their gretit heads, J 

 huge mouths, and strong muscular limbh', are suffi- \ 

 cient to identify Frogs and Toads any\yhere, espe- 





Fig. 3u5.— frog. 

 a, a, without ; ovpd, oura, a tail. 



