NEWTS. 55 



Linnaeus, in his Systema Naturae, hints at what Mr. Ellis ad- 

 vances more than once. 



ous ; and it is a discredit to the present age of pretended general enlightenment that such a re- 

 mark should be deemed necessary. 



There are at least three British species, two of which are well known and widely distributed ; 

 the third (T. vittntus') having only recently been distinguished, and, as yet, being only known to 

 occur near London ; the other two are extremely common, I believe, throughout the country, 

 being everywhere found abundantly in ditches, ponds, and other stagnant waters, from the 

 commencement of winter to the close of summer. In winter they lie buried in the soft mud, or 

 under the subaqueous masses of decaying leaves, but crawl forth from their retreats in mild 

 weather, when it will be seen that their membranous appendages are then fully developed, these 

 not being (as is at present the common opinion among naturalists) observable in the summer 

 months only, though they probably breed very early in mild seasons. They are sluggish and 

 inactive creatures, but voracious, and, as Mr. White observes, " will frequently bite at the angler's 

 bait, and are often caught on the hook," the smooth skinned kind being rather more lively in their 

 habits, and fond of swimming in the sunshine, while the T- palustris lies usually almost motion- 

 less upon the mud at a slight depth, and seldom rises to the surface except to breathe. After 

 producing, they mostly (I believe all the adults) quit the water, at which time their mem- 

 branous ornaments disappear, and, as is remarked by White (p. 62), "people every summer 

 see numbers crawling out of the pools where they are hatched, upon the dry banks," a 

 habit apparently necessary for their dispersion. They then move about chiefly by night, when 

 the dew is on the grass (the heavy dews of autumn particularly favouring their habits), or 

 by day in moist weather, or in shady and damp situations, retiring when the ground is dry 

 into holes and crevices, and not unfrequently finding their way into pits and cellars, whence 

 there is no outlet for them, and where, accordingly, many are obliged to pass the winter, 

 from being unable to regain their native element. They do not acquire their ornamental mem- 

 branes upon land, and such are probably incapable of propagation. I have now before me 

 (February)several live specimens of T. palustris and T. punctatus from a neighbouring pond, all of 

 which have these appendages developed, while others of the former species just brought me from 

 a saw-pit, exhibit no sign of them whatever. I shall subjoin rather a detailed account of the 

 distinctive characters of our three known species, not only to enable the reader to identify them 

 with facility, but also in the hope of inducing some who may be curious on the subject to 

 investigate those kinds which uay occur in their vicinity, in which case I think it highly proba- 

 ble that some additional sorts will be discovered. 



The warty newt (T< palustrit) is considerably the largest, varying, when full grown, fronc four 

 to six inches in length, seldom more. It has rather an uncouth and far from prepossessing ap- 

 pearance, with a flat head, and snout obtuse and rounded ; skin rough, and on the upper parts dark 

 olive, spotted with black, everywhere studded with small tubercles, which, on the sides, throat, and 

 under part of the legs, are white, and which, m fact, are glandular vesicles, from whence exudes a 

 peculiar and rather fetid secretion, which serves when upon land to keep the creature always moist 

 and clammy ; under parts bright orange-yellow, with irregular large spots of black, which in 

 general are more or less confluent. In the male, the abdomen is rather shorter, compared with 

 the entire length, than in the other sex; the hind feet are somewhat larger and stronger; and 

 the back, during the period it annually remains in the water, is ornamented with an elevated 

 membranous crest, commencing between the eyes, and running longitudinally down the mesial 

 line to near the tail, which last is also furnished with a similar but separate membrane along its 

 upper and under edges, causing it to appear at the base as broad as the body, both membranes, 

 but more particularly the dorsal, being deeply jagged and serrated. In the female there is only 

 a slight dorsal ridge occupying the place of the membrane in the other sex. I have said that these 

 appendages entirely disappear after the breeding season. 



The spotted newt (T. punctatus maculosus would be better) measures, when grown, from three 

 to four inches, being at once distinguishable from the last by its much smaller size, and smooth, 

 soft skin. The body is proportionably shorter, and the tail, relatively, rather longer, and ending 

 in a sharper point. The dorsal crest of the male commences at the back of the head, and is 

 continuous to the end of the tail, not deeply jagged, as in the last species, but uniformly fes- 

 tooned, or crenate, throughout its whole length ; that under the tail is smooth and even, as is 

 also that on the upper part of the tail in the female, which latter has hardly a trace of mem- 

 brane along the back. The hind toes also of the male are broadly fringed with dilated membranes. 

 Colours very variable, olivaceous on the upper parts, and yellowish beneath, passing into bright 



