16 



The distance from the suout to the gill-slit is equal to about one-sixth 

 the total length. 



Color grayish to black, usually dark slate ; sometimes mottled and 

 spotted. 



A total length of two feet may be reached, though usually smaller. 



Known to occur from Pennsylvania west to Iowa, south to South Car- 

 olina and Louisiana. Not yet known from Florida or Texas. 



Indiana localities are: Evansville (Nat. Mus.); Whitewater R. at 

 Brookville (E. R. Quick) ; Ohio R. at Vevay and Madison (Hay.) ; 

 New Harmony (Max. von Wied, 103, xxii. 136). 



It ai)pears strange that the occurrence of this animal has not yet been 

 reported from any part of the State except immediately along the Ohio 

 River, since its extra limital distribution indicates plainly that it must 

 be found in all the larger lakes and streams of the State. 



The "Hellbender" is a great coarse, sprawling, repulsive looking 

 creature. In the Ohio and its tributaries it is a common animal, and is 

 cordially despised by the fishermen, whose hooks are too often burdened 

 with it instead offish, and who regard it as also poisonous. The latter idea 

 is erroneous; nevertheless, its bite might be painful. They appear to be 

 exclusively aquatic, and yet are capable of living for a long time out of 

 the water. Mr. Charles H. Towusend (22, 16, 139), says that in Loyal- 

 hana Creek, Westmoreland County, Pa., shoals of them may be seen in 

 early spring moving sluggishly over the bottom. In August they appear 

 to hide away under rocks, but will come out after a bait of dead fish. 

 They are very tenacious of life. Mr. Towusend carried some of them in 

 a bag, on horseback, for five miles through a blazing sun, then put them 

 into a tub of water for five weeks without food, and they survived and 

 were vigorous. Mr. Wm, Frear, of Lewisburg University, in corrob- 

 orating Mr. Townsend's account of their tenacity of life, states that a 

 specimen eighteen inches long had lain in the sun forty-eight hours, then 

 in a museum a day longer, before it was placed in alcohol. After being 

 submerged in this twenty-four hours it was taken out and was alive and 

 vigorous. On making cuts, in the attempt to sever the cervical vertebrae, 

 it showed no anger or discomfort ; but if only the tip of the tail was 

 touched, the animal would viciously snap its jaws and strike with its tail. 



Two females of Mr. Townsend's specimens spawned while in the tub 

 where he put them. The spawn is reported as similar to that of frogs, 

 but without the dark colors of the latter. The ova were exuded in 

 strings, and were farther apart than tlic eggs of frogs. The eggs were 

 of a yellowish color and surrounded with gelatinous matter, which swelled 

 greatly on coming in contact with the water. Professor Cope states that 

 the eggs are rather large and are attached by two strong suspensors at 

 opposite poles. They must resemble somewhat the eggs of the Araphi- 

 uma, but with soft gelatinous covering. 



