Chap. 4. 



REPTILES OF VERMONT. 



123 



THE COMMON TOAD. 



THE SALAMANDER FAMILY. 



nearer resemblance to the frogs than to 

 the common toad. The specimen from 

 which my figure and description are made 

 was captured in Burlington. 



Genus Bifo. — Laurenti. 

 Generic Charticters. — Head short ; jaws 

 wilhont teelh : tympanum visible ; behind the ear 

 is a large glandular tumor, having visible pores ; 

 body short, tldck, swollen, covered wilh warts or 

 papilla3 ; posterior extremities but slightly elonga- 

 led. 



THE COMMON TOAD. 

 Bufo amcricnnns. 

 Description. — Color of the back and 

 outside of tlie limbs reddish brown, with 

 brownish blotches edged with black and 

 surrounded by a dull yellowish line, with 

 a light ash colored stripe from the top of 

 the head along the middle of the back to 

 the posterior extremity of the body. Bel- 

 I3' dull yellowish white, sprinkled with 

 brown spots. Two very large porous 

 glands back of the eyes. The body above 

 covered with warts or tubercles, the color 

 of the central part of wiiicli is usually fer- 

 ruginous; body beneath granulated. Tym- 

 panum small. Eyes brilliant; iris beau- 

 tifully reticulated with black and golden. 

 Four toes on the anterior feet, five on the 

 posterior, with a hard excrescence form- 

 ing the rudiment of a sixth toe ; hard tu- 

 bercles on the under side of the feet and 

 toes. Head rather large. Lengtli 3^ in. 

 History. — The toad, which has been 

 too long looked upon with disgust, and 

 regarded rather as an enemy than a 

 friend, is beginning to be viewed by hor- 

 ticulturists as a benefactor, and there can 

 be no doubt that it renders an essential 

 service by the destruction of noxious in- 

 sects, and deserves rather to be cherished 

 than driven from cultivated grounds. Du- 

 ring the day the toad usually sits motion- 

 less in some retired, obscure place, watch- 

 ing for flies and other insects, and when 

 any one approaches within suitable dis- 

 tance, he suddenly darts out his tongue, 

 to which the insect adlieres, and he sel- 

 dom fails of returning it to his mouth with 



the prey attached to it. During the night 

 they venture abroad, and are often met 

 with in large numbers in places where 

 few if any are to be found in the day time. 



n.— SALAMANDER FAMILY. 



Genus Salamandra. — Brongniart. 

 Generic Characters. — Body elongated ; tail 

 long; extremities f jur ; fingers four; toes five; 

 no tympanum ; numerous small teeth in the jaws 

 and palate ; tongue as in iVogs ; no sternum ; ribs 

 rudiniental ; pelvis suspended by ligaments. 



This genus comprehencs those animals which 

 ate generally known by the name of efis and 

 newts. 



SYMxMETRICAL SALAMANDER. 



Salamandra symmetrica. — Harlan. 

 Description. — Color brownish orange 

 above, bright orange beneath ; on each 

 side of the spine a row of from three to 

 seven ocellated spots of beautiful verinil- 

 lion color, with the surrounding circle 

 black ; the sides and under parts of the 

 body sprinkled with minute black points, 

 extending from the chin to near the ex- 

 tremity of the tail; head flattened ; nose 

 blunt; eyes bright and not very promi- 

 nent, with two longitudinal ridges be- 

 tween them ; four toes on the fore feet, 

 five on the hind ; skin on the body and 

 legs roughened by minute tubercles. The 

 specimen before me has six ocellated 

 spots on each side of the spine, and meas- 

 ures 3.3 inches. Length of the tail, which 

 is cylindrical, next the body, and flatten- 

 ed vertically towards the extremity, \.7 

 inches. 



History. — This species of Salamander 

 is frequently met with in different parts 

 of the state, but is less common than sev- 

 eral of the following species. It exists 

 throughout the United States, from Maine 

 to Florida. It is found in water, under old 

 logs in moist places, and is sometimes 

 seen crawling abroad on the wetground af- 

 ter a shower. Its motions are rather mod- 

 erate. It feeds upon spiders and small 



insects. 



MANY-SPOTTED SALAMANDER. 

 Salamandra dorsa.lis. — Ha rlan. 



Description. — General color olive 

 above, with a slight tinge of green, and 

 varying from sulphur yellow to reddish 

 orange beneath ; a row of ocellated vor- 

 million colored spots, with a blackish halo 

 on each side of the dorsal line, which va- 



