THE NEWT. 81 



There are some of these animals which seem to 

 have their development arrested, and never to get 

 beyond the tadpole state. Such, for example, is the 

 well-known Proteus anguinus of Adelsberg, in Carniola, 

 a creature in which not only the organs of respiration, 

 but those of sight are undeveloped. It is, in fact, 

 little more than a blind tadpole of full size, having no 

 eyes, and breathing entirely through gills. 



Then there is the Axolotl (Axoloteles guttatus) of 

 Mexico, which is about eight or ten inches in length. 

 It has anything but a pleasing look, but yet is valued 

 as an article of food, and regularly sold in the 

 markets. 



The gills in this creature are very bold and con- 

 spicuous, standing out like tufts of feathers on either 

 side of the back of the head. 



The strangest thing about this animal is, that 

 although when left in its native waters, it never 

 passes beyond the tadpole condition, it can be arti- 

 ficially developed into the state of a Newt. It is found 

 that if the supply of water be gradually cut off, the 

 gills diminish in proportion to the lessening of 

 their usefulness, while the lungs become developed. 

 In fact, the creature is forced artificially to go through 

 just the same process as the newts, frogs, and toads, 

 undergo naturally. 



It may seem strange that these creatures should be 

 undeveloped all their lives, and yet produce young. 

 Such, however, is the case ; for they lay eggs just 

 like any other Newt, and their eggs are hatched into 

 little tadpoles, which afterwards grow to be big tad- 

 poles, but never pass beyond that stage. 



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