44 



8ALAMA>-.bIGD.li. 



Larval or "Axolotl" state. 



Gray, Cat. p. 49. 



Baud. Rept. viii. p. 237 ; Cuv. in Humb. Rec. Zool. pis. 12, 14 ; 



Home, Phil. Trans. R. S. xxi. p. 419, pis. 21, 22, 23. 

 Gyrinus mexicanus, Shaiv, Nat. Misc. 1800, p. 343. 

 Siren pisciformis, Shaw, Zool. iii. p. 612, pi. 140. f. 12. 

 Phyllhydrus pisciformis, Gray, Griff. A. K. ix. p. 108. 

 Hypochton pisciformis, Gravenh. Delic. p. 90. 

 Siredon axolotl, Wagl. Syst. Amph. p. 209, and Descr. Icon. Amph. 



pi. 20. 

 Axolotes guttatus, Owen, Ann. fy Mag. N. H. 1844, xiv. p. 23. 

 Siredon mexicanus, Baird, Journ. Ac. Philad. (2) i. p. 292. 



lichenoides, Baird, in Stansbury, Exped. Gr. Salt Lake Utah, 



p. 336, pi. 1, and Rep. U.S. Expl. Surv. xiii. part iv. pi. 44. f, 1. 



humboldtii, Dum. fy Bibr. p. 177. 



harlanii, Dum. $• Bibr. p. 181, pi. 95. 



dumerilii, Duges, Ann. Sc. Nat. (5) xv. p. 2, pi. 10. 



tigrinus, Velasco, Nat. Mew. iv. pi. — . 



[On metamorphoses, cf. A. Dum. C. E. 1865, lx. p. 765, and Ixi. p. 775, 

 and Nouv. Arch. Mus. ii. 1806, p. 265 ; Marsh, Amer. Journ. (2) xlvi. 

 p. 364 ; Tegetmeier, Proc. ZooLSoc. 1870, p. 160; Cope, Amer. Journ. i. 

 1871, p. 80 ; Weismann, Zeitschr. wiss. Zool. xxv. p. 297 ; Chauvin, eod. 

 he. xxvii. p. 522.] 



Arrangement of the palatine teeth extremely variable ; the series 

 continuous or slightly interrupted externally or medially, either in 

 a straight line, or an angle directed forwards, or an arch with the 

 convexity forwards, with all possible intermediate forms ; these 

 series extending externally to posterior outer border of choante. 

 Tongue large, plicae radiating from behind. Head depressed, as long 

 as broad; greatest width at angles of jaws; snout broad, rounded, 

 without canthus rostralis ; eyes moderate. Body stout, slightly 

 depressed, thrice to thrice and a half the distance from tip of snout 

 to gular fold. Limbs stout ; adpressed against the body, the median 

 fingers and toes meet or cross ; fingers and toes short, much de- 

 pressed, pointed ; carpal and tarsal tubercles perfectly distinct. Tail 

 longer than, as long as, or shorter than head and body, strongly 

 compressed, keeled posteriorly, ending in a point. Skin shining, 

 minutely granulate ; parotoids large, fiat ; a vertical groove behind 

 the angle of the mouth, crossed by another horizontal groove from 

 the eye to the gular fold, latter very strong ; twelve well-marked 

 costal grooves. Brown or blackish, lighter beneath, with more or 

 less numerous irregular yellow spots, sometimes arranged in 

 transverse bands. 



6. 2. 



Total length 138 214 millim. 



From snout to cloaca .... 73 107 „ 



Head 11 25 



Width of head 11 24 



Fore limb 28 32 



Hind limb 28 38 



Tail 65 107 



United Slates : Mexico. 



