COMMON SMOOTH NEWT OR EFT. 159 



along the tail, and is regularly festooned on its 

 edge. The upper parts are of a light brownish-grey, 

 inclining to olive; yellowish beneath, becoming 

 bright orange in spring, marked all over with round, 

 black, unequal spots; on the head the spots form 

 about five longitudinal streaks ; and there is a 

 yellowish streak under the eyes. The female is 

 much less spotted than the male, the spots being 

 smaller and often very obscure, and the under parts 

 are often quite plain. It passes a great deal of its 

 time on land, when the skin loses its softness and 

 sometimes becomes wrinkled ; the toes, from being 

 flat, become round ; the membranes of the back and 

 tail entirely disappear, and all the colours become 

 more dull.* 



Entire length, from 3^ to 4 inches. 



* Lord Clermont's "Quadrupeds and Reptiles oE Europe,'' 

 p. 264. 



FEMALE SMOOTH NEWT. 



