THE CRESTED NEWT. 



179 



THE common NEWT, ASKER, EFFET, EFT, or EVAT, as it is indifferently termed, is 

 well known throughout England. At least two species of Newt inhabit England, and 

 some authors consider that the number of species is still greater. We shall, however, 

 according to the system employed in this work, follow the arrangement of the British 

 Museum, which accepts only two species, the others being merely noted as varieties. 



The CRESTED NEWT derives its popular name from the membranous crest which ap- 

 pears on the back and upper edge of the tail during the breeding season, and which 

 adds so much to the beauty of the adult male. 



This creature is found plentifully in ponds and ditches during the warm months of 

 the year, and may be captured without difficulty. It is tolerably hardy in confinement, 



CRESTED NEWT Triton crtstatus. 



SMOOTH NEWT. Lophlaus punctatus. 



being easily reared even from a very tender age, so that its habits can be carefully 

 noted. 



At Oxford we had some of these animals in a large slate tank through which water 

 was constantly running, and which was paved with pebbles, and furnished with vallis- 

 neria and other aquatic plants, for the purpose of imitating as nearly as possible the 

 natural condition of the water from which the creatures had been taken. Here they 

 lived for some time, and here the eggs were hatched and the young developed. 



It was a very curious sight to watch the clever manner in which the female Newts 

 secured their eggs ; for which purpose they used chiefly to employ the vallisneria, its 

 long slender blades being exactly the leaves best suited for that purpose. They depos- 

 ited an egg on one of the leaves, and then, by dexterous management of the feet, twisted 



