Mr. J. Higginbottom on the British Tritons. 371 



either terrestrial or aquatic^ but that both are equally aquatic in 

 their early tadpole stage and in their later and reproductive life, 

 and equally terrestrial in the long intermediate period. 



Cuvier himself observes, in a note subjoined to his description 

 of the various species of Triton : — " Cette caracterisation des 

 especes europeennes est celle qui m'a paru le plus conforme k la 

 nature, mais il me serait tres-difficUe d'y rapporter exactement 

 la synonymic des auteurs, taut je trouve leurs descriptions et 

 leurs figures peu d'accord avec les objets que j^ai sous les yeux*." 



II. The Fecundation, Deposition, and Bursting of the Ova. 



From minute observations of the process of fecundation in the 

 pools where the Triton abounds, I am led to conclude that this 

 takes place internally through the medium of water, without the 

 immediate contact of the sexes. 



The protuberances on each side of the cloaca in the male are 

 very prominent during the breeding season. 



The protuberances and the villous enlargement also around 

 the cloaca in the female, exist in this prominent condition only 

 during that period. 



The ova begin to be deposited as early as the beginning of 

 April, and continue to be deposited as long as the first or second 

 week in July. 



If a plant with long leaves be thrown into a pool where there 

 are Tritons for only a single night during the breeding season, 

 it will be found on the following morning to have a number of 

 its leaves folded, and mthin each fold an ovum. 



For the successful development of the ova, it is necessary ge- 

 nerally that they should be deposited and enclosed within the 

 folded leaves of some living aquatic plant. If they are placed at 

 the bottom of a vessel, or merely on the surface of a leaf exposed 

 to the water, they usually perish at an early period. 



For this purpose some aquatic plants are much more suited 

 than others, the best being those which have some firmness of 

 fibre. I have seen some ova laid on the water dock, which it has 

 required the little animal to exert very strong pressm-e to double ; 

 this, however, it has efiected at length by breaking the firm fibres 

 of the plant. 



I have found that some aquatic plants are too pliable and soft, 

 as the Nasturtium aquaticum. Not having sufl&cient fibre to pre- 

 serve the ova the fold is not permanent, so that the ova become 

 too much and too early exposed to the water, and they perish. 

 The most favourable plants I have observed for the deposition of 



* Regne Animal, t. ii. p. 117. 



26* 



