AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES. 51 
with pale or bluish spots, though sometimes uniform plumbeous. 
Length as much as 8 inches. Variable. 
x 
Jefferson’s Salamander. Ambystoma jeffersonianum (Green). 
Recorded by Dr. Abbott. I have no examples. 
Amblystoma jeffersomanum Abbott, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 804. 
Family PLETHODONTID&. 
The Red Backed Salamanders. 
Vertebrze amphiccelous, simple below. Ethmoid wanting. No 
pterygoid. Carpus and tarsus cartilaginous. Vomero-palatine 
bones not produced posteriorly over parasphenoid, and dentiger- 
ous plates on latter. Ceratohyal undivided, articulating directly 
with quadrate bone or cartilage. No otohyal. Only 1, or first 
basibranchial, in adults, and second basibranchial not connected 
with first: Stapes not connected with quadrate by cartilage in 
adults. Vestibule with inner wall osseus. 
The species of this natural and well-defined family are all, 
with one exception, American, Many are of small size, some very 
small, and others are handsomely colored. All are distinguished 
for their power of projecting the tongue, sometimes for a dis- 
tance equal to half the entire length of the animal. 
