42 RAMBLES OF 



object first observed was the tail of a beautiful salaman- 

 der, whose sides were of a pale straw colour, flecked 

 with circlets of the richest crimson. Its long lizard like 

 body seemed to be semitransparent, and its slender limbs 

 appeared like mere productions of the skin. Not far dis- 

 tant, and near where the upper end of the stone had been, 

 lay crouched, as if asleep, one of the most beautifully 

 coloured frogs I had ever beheld. Its body was slender 

 compared with most frogs, and its skin covered with 

 stripes of bright reddish brown and grayish green, in 

 such a manner as to recall the beautiful markings of the 

 tiger's hide ; and since the time alluded to, it has received 

 the name of Tigrina from Leconte, its first scientific de- 

 scriber. How long I should have been content to gaze 

 at these beautiful animals, as they lay basking in the 

 living water, I know not, had not the intense heat made 

 me feel the necessity of seeking a shade. It was now 

 past 12 o'clock, I began to retrace my steps towards the 

 city ; and without any particular object moved along by 

 the little galleries examined in the morning. I had ad- 

 vanced but a short distance, when I found the last place 

 where I had broken open the gallery was repaired. The 

 earth was perfectly fresh, and I had lost the chance of 

 discovering the miner, while watching my new acquaint- 

 ances in the stream. Hurrying onward, the same circum- 

 stance uniformly presented ; the injuries were all effici- 

 ently repaired, and had evidently been very recently 

 completed. Here was one point gained ; it was ascer- 



