SALAMANDER. 93 



black : the tail is somewhat shorter * than the 

 body, and of a round or cylindric form, gradually 

 tapering to the extremity, which is rather obtuse 

 than sharp. Like other Lizards of this tribe, the 

 Salamander lives principally on insects, small 

 snails, &c. its tongue, however, is not so formed 

 as to catch these in a sudden manner, being short, 

 broad, and in some degree confined, so as not to 

 be darted out with celerity. It is capable of liv- 

 ing in water as well as on land, and is sometimes 

 found in stagnant pools, Sec. Its general pace is 

 slow, and its manners torpid. 



A strange error appears to have prevailed rela- 

 tive to the supposed poisonous nature of this ani- 

 mal, and the malignity of its venom has even 

 been considered as scarcely admitting a remedy. 

 On this subject the writings of Gesner and Aldro- 

 vandus afford ample information; but it is useless, 

 as well as unpleasing, in these days of general illu- 

 mination, to detail the absurd and erroneous doc- 

 trines of past ages. It may be sufficient to observe, 

 that the Salamander is perfectly innoxious, and 

 incapable of inflicting either wound or poison 

 on any of the larger animals, though it appears, 

 from the experiments of Laurenti, that the com- 

 mon small grey lizard (L. agil. var.) is poi- 

 soned by biting a Salamander, and thus swallow- 

 ing the secreted fluid of the skin ; becoming 



o o 



* It is remarkable, that in the beautiful representation of this 

 animal in the frontispiece to Roesel's Historia Ranarum, the tail 

 is longer than the body ; but this must be considered as a rare 

 occurrence. 



