148 TAILED AMPHIBIANS 



or black, on which is laid about thirty irregular yellow spots. 

 The Spotted Salamander of Europe is a different species, its 

 light markings being in the form of elongated patches or 

 bands. Except for its external gills, the larva of this species 

 looks much like an ordinary tadpole; but with transformation 

 the gills disappear. Occasionally this species is found in 

 spring-houses and cellars. 



THE NEWTS, OR TRITOXS 



Pleurodelidae 



Although quite abundant in the Old World (sixteen 

 species), the newts are represented in America by only two 

 species. All these tiny creatures inhabit water during the 

 breeding-season, but at its close some species leave it, and 

 live for a period upon land, where their habits are much like 

 those of terrestrial salamanders. 



Most species of newts look very much like small, weak, 

 scaleless lizards, except that in some species the males, and 

 in others both sexes, have broad fins on the tail, above and 

 below. In some cases the upper fin is prolonged forward 

 along the back, quite up to the head. 



Of our two species of newts, the Crimsox-Spotted Newt 1 

 endeavors to make up by its abundance for the scarcity of 

 species of the Genus Triton in America. It is quoted by 

 herpetologists as "very common in ponds everywhere" in 

 the State of New York, and its known range embraces the 

 northern and eastern portions of the United States. It is 

 about Sy 2 inches long. Its color above is brown, or greenish 



1 Di-e-mye'ty-lu.s vir-i-des'cetu. 



