THE NEWTS 



449 



taneously functional, and m rare nistances 

 British newts have been known to retain 

 their gills in the adult state, and so re- 

 main amphibians in the strict sense of 

 the word. 



\Mi ether they are capable of propagat- 

 ing in these circumstances has not \-et 

 been determined, but an analogous case 

 is altorded by the North American 

 Axolotl, whose abihty to reproduce his 

 kind led to his being at first regarded as 

 a final product, though subsequent in- 

 vestigations pro\-ed him to be merely a 

 tadpole whose development had been 



breed in similar fashion. In late spring 

 the adults take to the water, the Palmated 

 Newt being somewhat in advance of 

 the other two species. Where thev all 

 hide themsehes during the cold months 

 It is diflicult to say. I ha\-e found them 

 in the most unexpected situations : more 

 than once I ha\-e dug them up a spade- 

 depth below the surface, where no doubt 

 they had reached a hibernaculum com- 

 municating with the outer air ; more than 

 once I have found them in cellars, and in 

 the bricked recesses under gratings which 

 gi\-e a ghmmer of hght to the basements 



\ 



THE COURTSHIP ATTITUDE OF THE MALE AND FEMALE SMOOTH NEWT. 



arrested, and who under favourable con- 

 ditions would tuin into an Amblystome. 

 Nor need we go so far as America in search 

 of an analogy, for it has been pointed out 

 by ^Ir. Boulenger that Axolotl forms of 

 the Alpine Xewt. a Urodele closely allied 

 to our own species, are comparativelv 

 abundant in some localities of the Italian 

 Alps. 



In some respects the amphibians supply 

 material of unique \'alue and interest to 

 the biologist. This is due to the fact that 

 their development can be studied liter- 

 ally ah ovo. and that such study is assisted 

 by the relati\'ely large size of the eggs, 

 the transparency of their co^•ering. and 

 the transparency (in the early stages) of 

 the tadpoles which hatch from them. The 

 biologist thus sees before him the em- 

 bryonic de\-elopment of a \'ertebrate. 

 and. from the e\-olution of the individual. 

 is enabled to gain some insight into the 

 evolution of vertebrates in general. 



Our three British species of newts aU 



of some old-fashioned houses : more than 

 once liidden deep in a rubbish heap. The 

 only conclusion I can draw from these 

 circumstances is that they prefer fairly 

 warm but damp situations below ground 

 le\'el. Such specimens of hibernating 

 newts as I have encountered ha\"e been 

 torpid, emaciated, and almost black in 

 colour. I have never ^-et found the Great 

 \\'arty Newt's winter retreat ; but the 

 two other species are in winter as dark as 

 he is. with much the same chstribution of 

 orange. I have hitherto failed to keep 

 ali\'e any which I ha^"e once disturbed. 



Should. howe\'er. hibernation pursue its 

 normal course, and the newts once more 

 reach the water successfully, they very 

 quickly change their appearance. The 

 male de\'elops his crest, and the female, 

 though she cannot ri\-al her lord in beaut}", 

 is decidedly well turned out. 



The male of the Smooth Newt is. in 

 his wedding garment, the most brightly- 

 coloured vertebrate we ha\"e. His back 



