36 NATURE'S STORY OF THE YEAR 



one common species (the large black one) is said 

 to hold an irritant poison in the vesicles in its 

 skin ; for which reason, apparently, my captive 

 snakes would hardly ever swallow one, though 

 they sometimes held one in the mouth. 



The weather is apt to discourage the early 

 newt and to gratify the sluggards of the race ; 

 for often the first to awake in spring and to enter 

 the accustomed pond are drowned owing to 

 the freezing of the surface of the water, so that 

 the poor things, coming up for a gulp of fresh air, 

 as is the habit of the animal, find none ; while 

 later, the lazier newts are in no danger of this 

 kind. 



The loves of the newt are not quite so pretty or 

 poetical as those of the lark. The male swims in 

 front of the female, turns, and thrusts his ugly 

 visage close to hers, and stares at her. She looks 

 not only ugly, but stupid and indifferent also ; 

 while he at least has a somewhat eager demeanour. 

 Gazing intently all the while, he bends forward his 

 fan-like tail and waves it along his side, thereby 

 causing a current of water to pass from him to 

 her. And, doing that, he is quite happy, or as 



