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In colour, it is mottled on the head with gold and olive 
green. It varies from a yellow to an olive green on the back 
and sides, and white or yellow beneath. The Common Newt 
is darker, and of a more leaden colour, and in spring the male 
is red beneath, which is not the case with the Palmate. (6) 
In habit, the Palmate takes the water earlier in spring, and 
leaves it later in autumn than the smooth Newt. 
In mild winters the Palmates are to be found in the ponds 
as early as the Ist of January, and are often killed by the 
sudden freezing of the surface of the water. The smooth 
Newt appears about a month later. In point of numbers, in 
any favourable piece of water near Stroud the Palmates are at 
least as ten to one of the Smooth Newt. 
As regards Newts in general, they may be termed nocturnal, 
as it is only in the night that they travel on land. It is clear 
that they are not confined to the immediate neighbourhood of 
ponds or ditches. When they leave the water in autumn, they 
take to damp places, and are often found under stones, as 
mentioned by Mr Jonrs. The Triton will move up to the tops 
_ of the hills, where it sometimes finds very comfortable quarters, 
_ often taking possession of an ants’ nest, and devouring the 
ants. I have found young Palmates under stones on dry banks 
at a considerable distance from any water. 
The Tadpole of the Palmate, in common with that of the 
_ smooth Newt, often falls a prey to that of the larger Triton ; 
_ but I have seen a full-grown Triton choked in an endeavour to 
swallow a full-grown Palmate. The common snake readily 
eats the Palmate, but avoids the Triton, possibly on account of 
the irritant secreted in its skin, which would be liberated 
by the fine piercing teeth of the snake. 
