BATRACHIANS OF THE VICINITY OF NEW YORK 163 
Plethodon and Hemudactylium, undergo their metamorphosis in 
damp places under stones or logs in the woods. The young of 
these possess branching gills when hatched, but the gills are 
absorbed within a few days. 
In the vivarium, many of the salamanders may be kept for 
observation by providing them with some three inches of damp 
Sphagnum moss, over which have been placed strips of old bark. 
The moss should be kept very damp. Ant larvee, the grubs of the 
smaller wood-boring beetles and small earthworms serve as food. 
If these creatures were provided with scales like the reptiles, 
the making of a popular key for identification would be simple. 
There is, however, among most salamanders a peculiar uniformity 
of external surface and general structure. Technical divisions of 
the Urodela are founded upon the arrangement of the teeth, the ~ 
anatomical structure of the tongue, the shape of the tail and the 
development of the toes. In the preparation of the following 
key, however, the writer has relied upon the few characters that 
appeal to an observer not versed in technical terms. The char- 
acters employed pertain to variation of outline, where such exists, 
size and color-pattern. In our local fauna four families, com- 
prising twelve species and two varieties, are represented. These 
are, the AMBLYSTOMID&, represented by Amblystoma opacum, 
A. tigrinum, A. punctatum; the PLETHODONTID&, Plethodon 
glutinosus, P. cinereus, P. cinereus erythronotus, Hemidactylium 
scutatum, Spelerpes ruber, S. bilineatus, S. longicauda; the 
DESMOGNATHID2, Desmognathus fusca, D. ocrophea; the PLEv- 
RODELIDA, Diemyctylus viridescens, D. viridescens miniatus. 
Key to the Salamanders, 
a. FORM STOUT, SIZE LARGE. 
t. Tail flattened towards the tip. 
Black, marbled with grayish 
white blotches............. Marbled Salamander (Amblystoma opacum). 
Black, marbled with yellow, 
the yellow predominating... Tiger Salamander (Amblystoma tigrinum). 
Black, two rows of yellow 
spots, black predominating. Spotted Salamander (Amblystoma  punc- 
tatum). 
