72 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxx. 



A larva about 45 mm. long was collected in the cave March 15. It 

 showed no signs of transformation and for a long time was content to 

 stay in the water, resting much of the time upon the lower end of a 

 piece of wood placed at such a slant that the larva had choice of vary- 

 ing depths of water. About April 20, more than a month after being 

 brought from the cave, it began resting nearer the surface and remained 

 often with the nose slightly out of water. When disturbed, it dashed 

 to the bottom, but innnediately tried to dart up the sides of the jar 

 and get its nose out again. It kept constantly on the move imtil it 

 again rested in its favorite position on the piece of wood. About 

 Ma}^ 1 the young salamander ])egan to spcMid all of its time either on 

 the wood or the side of the jar, with all or nearh' all of its bod}' out 

 of the water. At this time its gills had disappeared; they had begun 

 to reduce ten days l)efore. Soon after transformation it escaped from 

 the jar through a slight crevice in the cover. During its period of 

 indoor life it obtained little food and consequent!}^ made no growth. 

 This apparently did not retard ti-ansformation, which came with a rush, 

 the tiiial changes of form and color seeming almost to occur in a day. 

 At the time this larva escaped it had no tinge of the orange so con- 

 spicuous in the adult, although in all other respects it was a perfect 

 minature of the full grown salamander. 



A more detailed accoiuit of the tinal and most interesting stages 

 of larval life is the history of a lar\a taken among sonjc stones in 

 water December 21. It was 51: mm. long when captured, and showed 

 no signs of transformation. This larva was well fed with small anne- 

 lids and occasionally bits of meat. Until January 20 it lived content- 

 edly ill the water, but on that date it climl)ed up on a floating mass 

 of water-ci'ess and remained with the nose and i)art of the upper sur- 

 face of the head out of water. On flanuary 28 more of the head was 

 projected, but only part of the time was spent in this position. Dur- 

 ing the remainder it rested on the bottom, usually under cover. On 

 January 26 the gills were noticeably smaller, and on the next day, at 

 10 o'clock in the morning, the larva was seen on the side of the jar 

 with all of the head and most of the gills out of water. An hour 

 later it had climbed up farther, and was almost clear of the w^ater. 

 It was breathing air, the throat throb])ing rapidly. In the afternoon 

 it left the water completel}', Imt turned and remained for some time 

 with the nose thrust in the water, later remaining in a similar posi- 

 tion, but wholly out of the water. The larva was now 57 nun. in 

 length and its gills were less than one-tifth their original size. When 

 disturbed, it jumped down and swam frantically about in the aqua- 

 rium, stopping under the water-cress, but soon crawled up the side 

 until onl}'^ the tip of the tail dipped in the water. By Januar}^ 30 it 

 remained out of water all the time, the gills having entirely disap- 

 peared. It was, however, able to remain under water for several 



