NEWTS, SALAMANDERS, AND CCECILIANS 



which consists of worms, crustaceans, fish, and frogs, the animals do not leave 

 their hiding places, and then only at night, while they never venture on land. In 

 confinement they are extremely slow and sluggish in their movements, only exhibit- 

 ing any marked activity when they rise to snap at a worm or other tempting morsel. 

 In spite of its large size, the female lays very minute eggs, which are generally de- 

 posited in August and September. The smallest young yet observed had a length 

 of about six inches, and in every respect resembled the adult. Probably however, 

 at an earlier stage of development, external gills were present; and indeed, in an 

 illustrated Japanese book, the young of the giant salamander is represented with 

 these appendages. Further evidence of this is afforded by the circumstance that 



HEU.BENDER, OR MISSISSIPPI SALAMANDER. 

 (One-third natural size.) 



young specimens have been taken in which the gill openings were retained. The 

 first two living examples were taken to Europe in 1829 by Siebold, and were fed 

 on fresh-water fish brought from Japan, but when these began to fail, the male 

 devoured his unfortunate partner. When suitable food was procured, the male, 

 however, flourished and increased rapidly in size, surviving till the year 1881, when 

 it died in Amsterdam. 



Under this euphonious name is designated in its native country the 

 Mississippi salamander {Cryptobranchus lateralis}, which differs from 

 its Asiatic cousin by the presence of a gill opening, at least on the left side of the 

 neck, and likewise by the presence of four pairs of gill arches, and by the anterior 



Hellbender 



