376 



Mr. J. Higginbottom on the British Tritons. 



is also very evident in the Triton Icevis, in which the same changes 

 take place. 



In winter the full-grown Triton is often found in the imme- 

 diate neighbourhood of those pools to which they resort in the 

 spring. 



The average weight and length of the Triton asper as taken 

 from eighty in number, found in the crevices and holes in the 

 neighbourhood of the pools in September 1846, are as follows : — 



LARGEST. 



30 grains. 

 2^ inches. 



70 grains. 

 4 inches. 



90 grains. 

 4| inches. 



First Year's Triton. 



SMALLEST. 



20 grains. 

 If inch. 



Second Year's Triton. 

 46 grains. 

 3^ inches. 



Third Year's Triton. 

 60 grains. 

 3^ inches. 



Fourth Year's Triton. 



AVERAGE. 



25 grains. 

 2^ inches. 



54 grains. 

 3-^ inches. 



75 grains. 

 4 inches. 



180 grains. 

 6 inches. 



120 grains. 134 grains. 



4f inches. 5| 



(See Plate XV. figs. 1, 2, 3, 4.) 



5 1 inches. 



A similar computation might be made of the Triton lavis. 



There is a general meeting of all ages of the Triton in August 

 and September, before the period of hibernation. It would be 

 useless to attempt to find them at any other time of the year. 



In the summer the Tritons of both species are found in abun- 

 dance in the pools of old brick-yards. The brickmakers, who 

 are constantly disturbing the water and removing the clay, and 

 who occasionally clear the bottoms of the pools, state, that they 

 never find any Tritons in the water during the winter months, 

 but they discover great numbers of them in holes in the clay, 

 and sometimes ten or twelve coiled together. 



I have already stated that I have not been able to find any in 

 the pools during the winter, except the branchiated ones before- 

 mentioned. To test the accuracy of the opinion and to obtain 

 further knowledge of the habits of the animal, I made the two 

 following experiments : — First I procured a large earthenware 

 vessel (a foot-bath) eight inches in depth, in one part of which 

 I placed pieces of dry clay and some flat stones to the height 

 of six inches, whilst on the other side I placed some moist clay 

 and poured water upon it to the depth of two inches, and thus 



