THE FRESH WATERS 159 



that have begun to swim about often seek the 

 shelter of the mother's tail, as chickens the 

 hen's wings. This shortening down of the 

 chapters of the life-history is an adaptation that 

 tends to circumvent some of the dangers of 

 youth. 



The time taken to grow up may vary even 

 among the same animals according to the 

 season, and may be very different in two closely 

 related species. There occurs throughout 

 Central Europe a larger cousin of our common 

 newt, known as the " fire-salamander," from 

 the large splashes of orange colour on its black 

 body. It brings forth its young alive, but still 

 surrounded by the egg envelope, which bursts at 

 once, setting free a gill-bearing tadpole. This 

 little creature does not take on the salamander 

 form, or leave the water until it is about three 

 and a half months old. But if the summer is 

 dry, and the water in the pools gets low, the 

 stages are gone through more rapidly, and 

 development may be complete at the end of 

 two months. This salamander is not found at 

 a greater height than 2500 feet. Above that 

 its place is taken by another very similar form 

 without the orange spots, known as the black 

 salamander. This form may occur up to a 



