PRESII-WATER ANIMALS. 30o 



Spots on its surface less distinct ; the dorsal crest, which 

 before was deep, was merely represented by a ridge, and 

 the tail had diminished by one-third of its vertical depth, 

 this difference being principally on its dorsal surface. The 

 integument was very thin, the cutaneous bloodvessels being 

 quite apparent through it. It was very active, and swam 

 about the basin with renewed life and vigour. The slough 

 was a perfect cast of the whole body, limbs, and tail ; it was 

 quite entire and not torn or broken in any part, excepting 

 tiiat it had been split straight down the middle line on the 

 ventral surface, from the symphysis of the lower jaw to the 

 point of the tail, and had thus simply peeled off the body, 

 beginning from the belly and passing oft* the sides and then 

 from the back, taking away the dorsal crest. It is re- 

 markable that there was no fissure or crack in the cuticle 

 from the legs and feet, but it had slipped off the limbs 

 exactly as a glove would if pulled off by the extremities of 

 the fingers, and was not inverted ; in this respect resembling 

 the slough from the tail of the snake or slow-worm, the 

 tail of them being said to slip out of its covering like a 

 sword out of its scabbard. 



"The little sheaths of legs, feet, and toes, were very 

 beautiful; they were almost transparent, excepting the points 



