SALAMANDER. 557 



that, like any of the cold and glutenous animals, as snails, &c. it, of 

 course, is not quite so instantaneously destroyed by the force of fire 

 as an animal of a drier nature would he. The general length of the 

 salamander is about seven or eight inches, though it sometimes ar- 

 rives at a much larger size : in the number and form of its spots it 

 varies considerably, and is occasionally seen entirely 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 witli cele- 

 rity. It is capable of living in water as well as on land, and is 

 sometimes found in stagnant pools, &c. Its general pace is slow, 

 and its manners torpid. 



A strange error appears to have prevailed relative to the supposed 

 poisonous nature of this animal, and the malignity of its venom 

 has even been considered as scarcely admitting a remedy. On this 

 subject the writings of Gesner and Aldrovandus afford ample infor- 

 mation ; but it is useless, as well as unpleasing, in these days of 

 general illumination, to detail the absurd and erroneous doctriues 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 common small grey lizard 

 (L. agil. var.) is poisoned by biting a salamander, and thus swallowing 

 the secreted fluid of the skin ; becoming almost immediately con- 

 vulsed, and dying in a very short time afterwards. 



The salamander is a viviparous species; producing its young per- 

 fectly formed, having been first hatched from internal eggs, as in the 

 viper, and some other amphibia. It is said to retire to the water 

 in order to deposit its young, which, at their first exclusion, are 

 furnished with ramified! branchial fins or processes on each side the 



* 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. 



f On this subject some confusion and disagreement will be found to take 

 place in the works of different naturalists ; Mr. Latreille seems to doubt very 

 much whether the salamander really produces her young in the water, as well 

 as whether they are at first furnished with ramified branchial fins. 



