180 BATRACHIA : UUOPELA. — XXVI. 



lb 

 base, not fmnrd. Costal <;roovt's +4» L. C>. A(inatic. Vt. to Ala. 



in the niouiitain». " The only one of our Eastern Salaiiiandera 



which atteiii|>ts self-defence. It snaps fiercely but harmlessly and 



throws its body into contortions." (JJope.) (nop<^vpa, purple.) 



259. SPELERPES r»afmes(iue. ((mtot, cave ; ipntrov, reptile.) 

 (I. Cosiul ^ruttvf.s V.i ur 14; palatine teeth nutconliueut with sphenoid patches. 



b. Tail about as long as rest of tiody. 



506. S. b^lineatus (Ciret'ii). Yellow, with a dark line alonpj each 

 sidi- of tin- l)aik : Willy uiispotteii ; tad not keeled anteriorly ; costal 

 {:fr(X)V08 14. rather faint. L. 3. Maine to Wis. a|id si. .^^i^^cv, 



bb. Tail 1^ to 2 times as lonp as rest of body. -^ * 



507. S. guttollneatus (Holbrook). Yellow, with black band on 

 back and one on side ; tail black, barred with yellow ; belly mot- 

 tled ; tail keeled : costal jrrooves 13. Ohio to N. C. and S. 



508. S. longicauda ((ireen). Cavk SAi.AMAxnKR. Orange 

 yellow: back and sides with many irrej^nlar small black spots; a 

 median dorsal series: belly spotless; tail keeled, spotted or barred 

 with black. L. 5. Maine to Minn, and S., abundant in caves in 

 Ky. and Ind. (Lat., longus ; cauda, tail.) 



aa. Costal prooves 15 to 17; tail rounded at base, not keeled; palatine and 

 sphenoid teeth cont mucus. 



509. S. ruber (Daudin). Vermilion rod, with numerous, crowded 

 faint dark spots ; lu'ad wide; tail shorter than bod}'. L. 6. Maine 

 to Neb. and S. Var. montanus Cope (IVnn. to S. C.) has tail as 

 long as body, and lacks the dark bar across eye usually present in 

 var. ruber. ZR^^ g oJL<n--vvi>..U>v . 



Family CUT. DESMOGNATHID^. 



Vertebra; oj)isthoc(elian ; carpus and tarsus cartilaginous; pala- 

 tine teeth few, sometimes wanting ; no crests or other dermal ap- 

 pendages developed at the breeding season. Genus 1 ; species 3 ; 

 all of the Eastern U. S., the species aquatic, seldom leaving the 

 water. In external characters, this family is scarcely distinguish- 

 able from the preceding, but the skeletal distinctions are very 

 strongly marked. 



260. DESMOGNATHUS Haird. (8f(7/id9, band ; ymdos, jaw.) 

 a. Costiil jjroovos 13 or 14. 



b. Tail sub-tcn'tc. 



510. D. ochrophaea Cope. Brownish yellow with al)rown shade 

 on each sidi- : a yellowish dersal band ; back with a few sjwts ; In-lly 

 uns|)otted; ^ with lower jaw toothless iH-hind. L. 3. .Sarcely 

 acjuatic. N. Y. to ^f«i. in rats. (w;^^(if, yellowish ; (})ai6s, dusky.) 



bb. Tail compressed and keeled. 



