THE CRESTED NEWT. 525 



crest which appears on the back and upper edge of the tail during the 

 breeding season, and which adds so much to the beauty of the adult 

 male. 



This creature is found plentifully in ponds and ditches during the 

 warm months of the year, and may be captured without difficulty. It 

 is tolerably hardy in confinement, being easily reared even from a very 

 tender age, so that its habits can be carefully noted. 



At Oxford we had some of these animals in a large slate tank through 

 which water was constantly running, and which was paved with peb- 

 bles and furnished with vallisneria and other aquatic plants, for the 

 purpose of imitating as nearly as possible the natural condition of 

 the water from which the creatures had been taken. Here they lived 

 for some time, and here the eggs were hatched and the young devel- 

 oped. 



It was a very curious sight to watch the clever manner in which the 

 female Newts secured their eggs; for which purpose they used chietly 

 to employ the vallisneria, its long slender blades being exactly the 

 leaves best suited for that purpose. They deposited an egg on one of 

 the leaves, and then, by dexterous management of the feet, twisted the 

 leaf round the egg, so as to conceal it, and contrived to fasten it so 

 firmly that the twist always retained its form. The apparent shape of 

 the egg is oval, and it seems to be semi-transparent, but on looking 

 more closely it is seen to be nearly spherical, of a very pale yel- 

 low-brown, and enclosed within an oval envelope of gelatinous sub- 

 stance. 



When the young Newt is hatched it much resembles the common 

 tadpole, but is of a lighter color, and its gills are more developed. It 

 rapidly increases in size until it attains a length of nearly two inches, 

 the fore legs being then tolerably strong, and the hinder pair very small 

 and weak. 



Toward the breeding season the male changes sensibly in appearance; 

 his colors are brighter and his movements more brisk. The beautiful 

 waving crest now begins to show itself and grows with great rapidity, 

 until it assumes an appearance not unlike that of a very thin cock's 

 comb, extending from the head to the insertion of the hinder limbs, 

 and being deeply toothed at the edge. The tail is also furnished with 

 a crest, but with smooth edges. When the animal leaves the water 

 this crest is hardly visible, because it is so delicate that it folds upon 

 the body and is confounded with the skin ; but when supported by the 

 water it waves with every movement of its owner, and has a most grace- 

 ful aspect. 



After the breeding season the crest diminishes as rapidly as it arose, 

 and in a short time is almost wholly absorbed. Some remnants of it, 

 however, always remain, so that the male may be known even in win- 



