178 Mr. G. A. Boulenger on 



sunset, during tlie spring and summer. Salamanders and 

 Alytes never pair in tlie daytime. 



I should have thought that de I'lsle'-s publication had 

 disposed once for all o£ tlie old story, which originated with 

 Demours, that the male pulls out the strings of eggs from 

 the female and thus performs obstetric functions. As 

 de PIsle has told us, the ova are expelled suddenly, in a 

 second or two, forming a ball-like mass, between the extended 

 liind limbs of the couple, and the male does not attempt to 

 disentangle the strings until after about ten minutes' rest. 

 Yet here are Kamraerer's own words, taken from his fir-t 

 paper (1, p. 53) : — 



" Das ]\Iannchen umarmt sein Weibchen um die Lenden 

 nnd presst ihm die Laichmasse, die aus aufifallend grossen 

 Eiern besteht, heraus, wobei es mit den Hinterbeinen nach- 

 hilft, indem sie die Laichmasse eintauchen und diese durch 

 abwecliselnde Anziehen und Ausstrecken aus der weiblichen 

 Cloake hervorziehen." 



If the reader will refer to the accounts of the parturition 

 given by de I'Isle and myself, he will see that there are two 

 quite distinct phases in this operation — the first, ending with 

 the extrusion of the eggs, up to which moment the male 

 clasps the female at the waist (" Lenden "), the second, during 

 which the female is clung to at the neck whilst the male 

 ])roceeds with the fertilization and the movements of the hind 

 limbs by means of which the strings of eggs become entwined 

 round them. The "Anziehen und Ausstrecken" cannot 

 coincide with the lumbar amplexation ; tliis would be, as 

 de I'Isle has observed, a material impossibility, for the eggs 

 would be under the male instead of behind it, and could nut 

 be managed in the lading operations. 



My conclusion is that Kammerer can only have had 

 glimpses at the act of parturition, either before the publication 

 of his first paper or after, as his latest version (4, p. 97) is as 

 follows : — 



" Sie legt nuv 18-83 verhiiltnissmassig sebr grosse, weil 

 dotterreiche Eier, deren Gallerthiille sich zu einer Schnur 

 verbindet, auf dem Lande ab, wo die Gallerthiille nicht 

 quellen kann. Das viiterliche Tier leistet seinem Weibchen 

 Geburtshiilfe, indem es ihm die Eierschnur aus der Kloake 

 zieht." 



A little further (4, p. 97) Kammerer goes on to say, 

 referring to oviposition in water : — 



''In dem Augenblicke aber, als die Gallerthiille jetzt mit 

 Wasser in Beriihrung tritt, quellt sie auf, verliert dadurch iiire 



