3. MOLGE. 15 



Triton punctatus, Bonap. Faun. Ital.; Jenyns, Brit. Vert. p. 304; 



Selys, Faun. Belg. p. 182, pi. 5. f. 2 ; Duges, Ann. Sc. Nat. (3) 



xvii. p. 269 ; Dum. fy Bibr. p. 141. 



exiguus, Bonap. I. c. 



Lissotriton punctatus, Bell, Brit. Bept. p. 132, and 2nd edit. p. 143. 



palmipes, Bell, I. c. p. 139. 



Pyronicia punctata, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1858, p. 137. 



Triton tseniatus, Ley dig, Arch. f. Naturg. 1868, p. 212 ; Strauch } 



Salam. p. 49 ; Schreib. Herp. Eur. p. 24. 



Fronto-squamosal arch ligamentous ; frontals with distinct orbital 

 processes. Palatine teeth in two series, parallel, and in contact in 

 their anterior half, diverging behind, thus forming a A-shaped figure ; 

 these series commencing on a line with the choanse. Tongue small, 

 elliptical, free along the sides. Head longer than broad, its length 

 contained about thrice in the length of the body, the greatest width 

 at posterior corners of eyes ; three distinct longitudinal grooves on 

 the head ; snout rather elongate, rounded or subcorneal and truncate ; 

 labial lobes well developed during the breeding-season, most so in 

 the female. Body rounded ; breeding male with an elevated, fes- 

 tooned dorsal crest, commencing on the occiput and not interrupted 

 on the pelvic region ; female with a dorsal ridge, or very low, 

 straight-edged crest confluent with the caudal. Limbs moderate ; 

 fingers and toes depressed, shorter in the female ; during the breed- 

 ing-season the toes of the male lobate ; two small carpal and tarsal 

 tubercles, less distinct in the male. Tail a little longer than head 

 and body, strongly compressed during the breeding-season, ending 

 in a point, with an upper and lower crest ; in the male, the latter 

 festooned like the dorsal crest. Skin smooth, or nearly so ; head 

 with distinct series of pores ; gular fold absent, or very feebly 

 marked. Upper parts brown or olive, with darker spots ; these are 

 large and rounded in the male, small and sometimes confluent into 

 a lateral band in the female and young; head with five longitudinal 

 dark streaks, most distinct in the male ; lower surfaces yellowish, 

 with a median orange or reddish zone, and large round black spots 

 in the male or small black dots in the female, the latter frequently 

 confluent into a line along each side of the belly ; lower edge of the 

 tail uniform orange in the female, red bordered above with blue 

 and interrupted by vertical black spots in the male. 



Total length 83 



From snout to cloaca .... 40 



Head 9| 



Width of head 7 



Fore limb 14| 



Hind limb 16 



Tail 43 



Europe, with exception of S. France, Spain, and Portugal; Tem- 

 perate Asia. 



