FJiOGS — NEWTS 337 



eastern Europe and western Asia; in Europe it is found east of the Rhine near 

 the upper Spree, the Havel, in the valley of the Elster and the lower Saale, near 

 the salt lake of Eisleben, in the northern borders of the Hartz, and in the basins of 

 the upper Elbe, Vistula, and Danube. Passing east from Poland onward through 

 southern Russia, it becomes more frequent than the pond form, increasing as the 

 latter decreases, till in the neighbourhood of the Caspian and the Caucasus it is the 

 only representative of the edible frog. Thence it ranges as far as Turkestan, and 

 also extends over Afghanistan, Persia, Armenia, Asia Minor, Syria, Cyprus, the 

 Greek Archipelago, and Greece. It also occurs in Dalmatia and its vicinity, and 

 in isolated instances in southern Europe, and it seems to be the edible frog of 

 northern Africa. Another variety is found in Italy, Sicily, and the south-east of 

 England, where, however, it has been introduced ; a fourth inhabits the Pyreneau 

 Peninsula and the Azores ; while the fifth and last is met with in China and Japan. 

 The lake form shows a decided partiality for the lowlands, inhabiting extensive 

 tracts of water on the plains; but the pond-race prefers the streams of hilly 

 and mountain districts, although seldom ascending higher than 3600 feet above 

 sea-level. Pools, ditches, marshes, bogs, and fens are its favourite dwelling-places. 

 Only very occasionally does it wander over land from one piece of water to another ; 

 since, except when young, the whole of its existence is passed in the water and 

 on the banks. In Germany its summer-life begins about the latter half of April : 

 and from May onwards, especially on damp warm evenings, this frog joins in 

 the nightly chorus of its kind, until September. During the day it lies on 

 the surface of the water with the head raised above the surface, or may be 

 seen sunning itself on shore and on the look-out for such food as snails, worms, 

 insects, tadpoles, and newts, while it even eats fire-bellied frogs, which are seldom 

 preyed upon by other animals. While on land, it is always on the watch for 

 danger, and, when disturbed or frightened, has been known to leap o feet 

 into the water, to hide among the plants or in the mud. It is a lively, 

 active, dexterous, inquisitive, voracious species, which can rarely be tamed ; and 

 is to a certain extent destructive, as it devours the spawn of fish, although 

 it may be said to make some compensation for this by its fine flavour, which is 

 much appreciated in Italy, France, and southern Germany. 



Among the tailed amphibians of central Europe four species of 



Crested Newt. b r r r 



newts must be included in this chapter. Of these the crested newt 

 {Molge cristata) is found throughout the Continent; the only countries from 

 which it is absent being Spain and Portugal. In the central districts it is to be 

 met with almost everywhere, except in the mountain-ranges. In spring it is 

 one of the ordinary inhabitants of stagnant pools, being fond of water over- 

 grown with plants, and of streams with clayey, chalky, or marly bottoms, its 

 occasional absence being probably due to some unfavourable condition of soil, 

 water, or climate. Although, avoiding the inclement heights of the German 

 mountains, it has been found on Mont Blanc at an altitude of 5000 feet. 



The Alpine newt (M. cdpestris) is limited to a much narrower 



Alpine Newt. : v " 



tract, clinging to the hilly districts and avoiding the plains. In 

 the south it inhabits only the Apennines and the mountains of Greece and 

 vol. i. — 22 



