LIZARDS AND SALAMANDERS OF CANADA. 53 



separated. Species small and of slender body and limbs. 

 Spelerpes biliaeatus borealis Baird. 



I have met with this little salamander only in small brooks in 

 the valley of the River St. John in York County. So far as I 

 know it is the only Canadian station. 



Desmognathus Baird. 



Almost similar to Plethodon in external characters and appear- 

 ance, but vertebrae opisthoca?lous. Larval stage aquatic and 

 prolonged. 



Desmognathus ochrophoea Cope . 



Another rare species which I have collected only in the valley 

 of the St. John River, New Brunswick, under logs, bark &c., 

 near the river margin. 



Not having the author's description of this species its identi- 

 fication puzzled me greatly and finally I sent a specimen to him. 

 In gratitude to this distinguished naturalist whose kind heart 

 and facile pen were ever ready to help a humble plodder, I may 

 be pardoned for inserting an extract from his reply, among the 

 last letters he ever wrote, for his death took place a few months 

 after: '"The specimen of D. ochrjphoex represents a variety with 

 a spotted belly such as I never saw in the United States." It 

 would seem then that this variety is peculiar to this section of 

 Canada, and I have found the spotting of the under surface 

 common and uniform. 



D. fusca Ratlnesquf. 



Though rarely meeting with the adult animal, I have collected 

 the larvse in many places in New Brunswick. It retains the 

 embrvonic characters longer, perhaps, than any other that is 

 aquatic in its early stages; for specimens nearly full-grown are 

 frequently met with the external brachise functional. The size, 

 development of parts, and vigor of many of these would suggest 

 the possibility of this salamander breeding while purely aquatic. 



