104 Reptilia and Ampliihia of Cambridgeshire 



the head and trunk, separated by a gap from the entire'crest of 

 the tail, the sides of which are adorned with a bluish white 

 band. The female has a yellow line along the middle of the 

 back. 



Triton palmatus (s. Mveticus), the Webbed Newt, so 

 called because the toes are fully webbed. The smallest of 

 European newts, remaining mostly under 3 inches in length. 

 The tail ends in a thread, which in some males is almost 

 half-an-inch long, while it is only just indicated in the female. 

 A similar tail filament exists in the two other newts during 

 the larval stage. The male of the webbed newt develops 

 during the breeding season a cutaneous fold along each side 

 of the back, but only a low, entire vertebral crest. This little 

 newt is rather common in Quy Fen. 



It may be added that the skin of all newts, especially that 

 of T. cristatus, contains numerous poison glands. If anyone 

 doubts the efficiency of the secretion he can easily, with 

 great discomfort to himself, be convinced of the fact by 

 rubbing a living newt between the fingers and then applying 

 his tongue to them. 



Bufo vnlgaris, the Common Toad, is practically ubiquitous, 

 but remains rather small, seldom attaining the length of 

 3 inches. Those specimens which live on chalk soil assume 

 a pale olive grey, a much lighter colour than those which 

 inhabit other kinds of terrain, where brown or rusty tints 

 prevail. 



Bufo calamity the Natterjack, or Running Toad, is very 

 local, being restricted to sandy localities. It was first found 

 in considerable abundance on Gamlingay Heath, in 1824, by 

 Henslow and Jenyns. Gamlingay is still the chief locality 

 in the county where this little toad is frequent. During the 

 months of May and June they there resort to certain clay -pits, 

 in the shallow water of which they spawn between the rushes. 

 They hibernate in deep holes, either dug by themselves, or 

 appropriating those of the sand-martins, which have established 

 a colony in the steep and high walls of the sand which there 



