AMPHIBIANS. 225 



ous character of this little animal is so firmly rooted 

 that it is extremely difficult to shake it. Many 

 believe that if anyone catches hold of an " Askel," it 

 will turn round, run up its own tail, and bite him, and 

 that the bite is venomous ! There is not an atom of 

 truth in this, for the Newt cannot turn upwards in the 

 way mentioned (though naturally it wriggles about in 

 its efforts to get free), neither is the mouth large 

 enough, nor is it provided with teeth big enough, to 

 bite a human finger. There is a still more curious super- 

 stition in some districts ; that if one of these creatures 

 is accidently swallowed by a human being, cow, or 

 horse, it will go on living inside the stomach, and rob 

 its host of the benefit of any food that may be taken, 

 so that he, or she, will gradually pine away and die! 

 Strange indeed that anyone in these days can believe 

 such utter nonsense. We doubt if it would harm the 

 swallows : we know it would be bad for the Newt ! 



PALMATE, or WEBBED NEWT. This species resem- 

 M. palmata. bles the Common Newt in the smooth- 



nes of its skin, and in general appear- 

 ance. It is distinguished by its smaller size, and, in the 

 breeding season by the male having the hind-feet com- 

 pletely webbed, and his crest low and simple not 

 festooned and higher on the tail than above the body. 

 In both sexes the head is broader and shorter than in the 

 common species, and there is a prominent line running 

 on each side of the back from the head to the hind-legs. 

 The tail, instead of tapering to a point, is abruptly trun- 

 cate, and usually terminates in a slender thread two or 

 three lines in length. It appears that in districts where 

 it occurs, it often exists in such numbers as to replace 



