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the Rhine as far as Holland, it has penetrated as far south as Bavaria, on the 

 Main as far as Ochsenfurt, and northward to Thuringia and the Hartz Mountains. 

 In these districts, as in other mountainous parts, it is to be found in ravines, 

 deep valleys, and forest-marshes, in old river-beds, in either clear or muddy water, 

 in pools which have been formed by melted snow, and in springs, but never in 

 large open ponds. 



Although the webbed newt resembles the black salamander in its way of 

 living, it is more sensitive, and more dependent on the woods, and for these 

 reasons is not found everywhere in the Hartz where the Alpine newt is met 

 with : on the other hand, the black salamander occurs wherever the webbed 

 newt exists. 



All the central European newts are in general very much alike in their way 

 of living, representatives of all four being sometimes found in the same waters. 

 They complete their metamorphosis, which lasts three months or more, in the 

 water, where they remain for several months in the spring during pairing-time. 

 That they exist entirely in water during this time, is evident from the fact that 

 their tails maintain the oar-like form ; the fringes with which this appendage 

 is ornamented at that season not disappearing till the newts prepare to go on 

 land, which some do as early as May, although others do not come out before 

 September. 



The common newt sometimes leaves the water in small parties, while the crested 

 and the Alpine species get gradually accustomed to life on shore by leaving the 

 water from June or July in the mornings and evenings, and returning at intervals, 

 till at last thej- remain on land. Like other newts, they spend the rest of the 

 summer and the autumn in damp places, in holes on the bank, beneath roots of 

 trees and in rocky clefts, and even in cellars, where they hibernate. On emerg- 

 ing from hibernation newts betake themselves to ditches and pools of stagnant 

 water. The mountain newt prefers water with gravel at the bottom, particu- 

 larly in the forests. The dark winter-coat of the male soon assumes its nuptial 

 colours, while the other sexual features begin to develop on the back, tail, and 

 other parts. 



Newts lay eggs instead of giving birth to living young like salamanders. 

 From twelve to eighteen days after the eggs are laid the young appear, and are 

 about a quarter of an inch in length, and in shape and movements like young 

 fish. In three to four months their gills are formed, so that they are not fully 

 developed until August or September. 



Occasionally the gill-bearing fry winter as such, and do not assume their 

 mature shape before the following spring. Many die from starvation or are eaten 

 by their own species, especially in the case of the crested newt, or they are 

 killed by the voracious larvae of large water-beetles, which also destroy the 

 eggs as they adhere to the plants on which they are deposited. Others are 

 sucked by leeches, or caught by frogs, snakes, or fishes. As tadpoles, they live 

 first on small crustaceans and hopping insects, later on they eat the larvae of 

 gnats, and also worms and other small invertebrates, and occasionally each 

 other. Newts are thus carnivorous throughout life ; the crested species being 

 particularly voracious in spring, and especially fond of snails, which it clutches 



