HERPETOLOGY. 



39 



A; 





r .-- 



a white spot behind each ear ; head slightly furrowed 

 above ; hinder feet semipalmated. 

 ' Le i'. demi-luite, Daud. viii. p. 208. 



SO. B. agua. Brazilian T. Very large; beautifully 

 marbled with yellow, brown, and grey, and rough with 

 tubercles ; Urge parotid glands ; hinder feet very slight- 

 ly pahnated. 



Le C. ague, Dand. viii. p. 2CX). Lacep. ii. part iii. 

 art. 32. 



Raita br.Tziliftui*, Linn, a Gmel. p. 10 If). 



31. B. cyanopMyti*. Blue-warted T. Bluish brown 

 above, with blue purtules on each Mile, extending from 

 the eye* to the lower part of the breast and sides, and 

 thence to the rump. 



I.e C. a fnutmlet blent*. Dand. viii. p. 212. 



32. B. corntlm. Horned T. Head large, with a long 

 conical protuberance, or horn, upon each upper eye- 

 lid. 



I.e C.centM, Daud. viii. p. 214. Lacepede, ii. part iii. 

 art. 31. 



liana eonmla, Linn, a Gmel. p. 1050. 

 Homed frog, Shaw. 



FAMILY II. Tailed Balraciant. 

 GKMC IV. SALASUNDK*. SALAMANDERS. 



Body elongated, cylindrical, naked, sometime* warty, 

 and terminated by a tail that is either cylindrical or 

 flattened, to a* to form a fin, and persistent. No ex- 

 ternal ear* ; tongue short, thick, and entirely fixed 

 within the lower jaw. Fore feet having either three or 

 four toe* ; hinder furnished with five toe*, all blunt, and 

 without claw*. 



Till within the*e few Tear*, the (alamanders had been 

 ranked among the lizard*, to which they are allied only 

 from their having a tail, and from the similar position 

 and structure of their leg*. In their internal organiza- 

 tion and their general habit*, they are entirely .! 

 from all the Saurian order, and mote nearly're*rmble 

 the frog* and toad*. They have no true rib* ; they re- 

 spire in the same manner a* the Batracian* already de- 

 scribed, and in mart of them the fecundation of the ova 

 takr* place in a similar manner. In a few of them, in- 

 deed, the young are extruded from the ova while still 

 within the oviduct of the female; and the spe< 

 which thi* take* place are called Mefttpani. In their 

 metamorphosis, the young salamanders paw through 

 the carry stage* of exiatence with much the same ap- 

 pearance* a* we have described in the tadpole of the frog, 

 except that the number of stage* i* rather lea*. The 

 tadpole of the salamander bunt* the ovum within ten 

 day* after it i* dropt from the mother, and take* about 

 four month* to arrive at h* perfect state, during which 

 time it tabaiaf* entirely on rentable* ; while in 

 perfect state, they feed on snail*, worm*, and insect*. 

 The number of young produced by one female sala- 

 mander sometimes amount* to thirty or forty. 



These Mil Ii are found ra moat warm climate*; and 



at lea* six of them are native* of the south of Europe. 

 Tber inhabit the bank* of unfrequented streams, moist 

 ahadywooda, and high ground*; but are seldom seen 

 except during wet weather. They appear to live equally 

 well in the water and on land, and they iwim with 

 great facility. During winter they lie concealed about 

 the rootaof old I tree*, in the ravitie* of old walls. 



twisted together In their general habits, they are 

 and their pace i. slow. 



BitTici.Jl 



It was believed by the ancients, and is still a popular 

 superstition among the vulgar in most countries, that sa- 

 lamanders are not only capable of existing with impunity " *""*"" 

 in fire, but have the power of putting a stop to a con- 

 siderable conflagration when thrown among the flame*. 

 This absurd idea has perhaps Arisen from the fact which 

 has been observed by Maupertuis, that when one of 

 these animals is placed upon a fire, its whole body 

 soon becomes covered with drops of a milky fluid, 

 which oozes through the pores of the skin, and quickly 

 dries upon its surface. 



There are about fourteen species, which are thus dis- Sftots. 

 tinmii-ihed. 



Spfcies I . SalamanJra frrrtttris. Common salamander. Tenewris. 

 Blackish, variegated with irregular blackish spot ; tail 

 cylindrical, and a little obtuse. 



La Salamandrie terretlre. Daud. viii. p. 221 . pi. xcvii. 

 fig. 1. Lacepede, ii. part ii. art. 54. pi. viii. tig. 1. 



Lacerta tatamandra, Linn, a Gmel. p. 1066. 



Salamander, Shaw, iii. pi. Ixxxii. 



2. S.atrn. Black S. Uniformly black without spots; Atra. 

 tail cylindrical and a little obtuse. 



La S. noire, Daud. viii. p. 225. 



S. 5. rubra. Red S. Red interspersed with nu- Rubn. 

 merous black point*, with a blackish streak upon the 

 belly : hinder feet semipalmated. 



I.a S. rouge, Daud. viii. p. 227. 



4. .V. rfnentua. Venomous S. Ground black, with Veaena^ 

 round vellow spots, arranged in a double row along 



the bark. 



1* S. mtimftur, Daud. p. 229. 



Lacerla pttndala. Linn, a Gmcl. p. 1076. 



/ . ponlnfe, I-acepede, ii. part ii. art. 56. 



5. N. aUeganifntit. Alleghany S. Large, brown, AUcgsnirn- 

 paler below, with a shortish compressed tail, slightly sta. 

 created. 



la .V. dn moult aUffttnit, Daud. viii. p. 231. 



tula. Crated S. Blackish above, marked Ctuuu. 

 below with Urge rounded orange-coloured dot* ; sides 

 granulated with white, and dotted with black ; tail 

 back of the male furnished with a fun- 



IM S. crttee, Daud. viii. p. 2SS. 



7. .V. rmbrivrntru. Orange bellied S. Black above, R u bmm- 

 with brownish spot*; orange below without spots, ex- tru. 

 cept a few black dot* under the neck. 



La S. a venire oramgf, Daud. viii. p. 239. pi- xcviii. 

 flg. I. 



8. .V. marmerala. Marbled S. Olive green above, SUnnortu. 

 marbled with brown ; brow nun below, with white gra- 

 nular dots ; tail lumpreaatd. 



- mnrbrtr. Dan 241. 



9. .V. aMvminalu. Abdominal S. Olive green above, Abdomin*. 

 dotted with yellow below, with a longitudinal yellowish "* 



line an each tide of the back ; all the toe* separate. 



IM H. aUomimalr. Dauil tin. p. 250. 



V. palmiptt. Webfooted S. Head and arm* Polmipe*. 

 yellow, slightly <lotted with black ; back olive brown ; 

 belly yellowish ; hind feet nalmated. 



IM S. palmipede, Daud. viii. p. 253. pi. xcviii. fig. 2. ru_ 



11 . .$. rlrgtnu. Elegant S. Head and feet yellow, 

 lightly dotted with black ; back oNve ; belly yellow 



all the toe* teparate, but thone of the hind feet lobated. 

 IM S. rlrgnttr, Daud. viii. p. 255. 



12. S.jimictata. Dotted S. Olive ash above, yel- Puoctau. 

 low below, every where interapened with black dots ; 



tail very much compreMed ; all the toe* separate. 

 La S. ponctHr,. Daud. viii. p. - 



13. S. duct*. Girded S. Yellowish olive above, ClB<u - 



