CLASSIFICATION 



649 



Amblystoma. Not only this, but some of them could be made to revert 

 back to the larval Axolotl form. 



Salamander maculosa, commonly called the "spotted" or "fire sala- 

 mander" is the most common of the European salamanders. 



Salamandra atra is much darker than S. maculosa and is found in 

 the Alps at altitudes from 2,000 to 9,000 feet. This animal is interesting 

 in that it produces only two young at a time, which, while still in the 

 uterus, feed upon the surrounding eggs and pass through their entire 

 metamorphosis before being born. 



Kammerer claims that S. atra will change to S. maculosa if brought 

 to lowland waters and then after being kept there for several genera- 

 tions, and later returned to the higher altitudes, they well retain the 

 breeding habits acquired as the lowland type. This fact has led some 

 authors to insist that here is a case of acquired characteristics being in- 

 herited. 



Diemictylus viridescens is the "vermilion spotted eft" or newt. It 

 takes several years to reach the adult form. For three years it lives in 

 water and has external gills. During this time it is green in color. Upon 

 leaving the water it becomes yellow with vermilion spots, and at the 

 breeding season returns to water and again becomes green. 



Triton cristatus (Fig. 374) Js the "crested newt." The male has a 

 decided crest during the breeding season. 



Family III. Proteidae. (The Mud-Puppies) (Fig. 375). 



These have three pairs of fringed external gills throughout life and 

 some authors call them perennibranchii. 



There are only three genera with a single species each. Two of 

 these genera occur in America and one in Europe. 



lacerlina (mud-eel) 



Fig. 375. Proteidae and Sirenidae. 

 (After Chapin and Rettger.) 



Necturus maculatus is the comm.on American "mud-puppy." It is 

 assumed that this may be an animal which has remained in the larval 

 stage. 



Proteus anguineus (the Germans call them "olms") are blind, cave, 



