REPTILES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 251 



dorsal line," where no defined line existed, of any color, in life. 

 Dr. Holbrook's second volume of his " North American Her- 

 petology" containing a description of the " S. dorsalis" has, 

 within a few months, issued from the press. Was I governed 

 by his description, which makes no mention of the innumera- 

 ble black dots above, which cover its entire upper as well as 

 under surface in every individual of whatever age I have met 

 with ; or his plate, which corresponds with it, I might be in- 

 duced to disbelieve the identity of our species ; but preferring 

 to think the omission may have been accidental, I would yield 

 my doubts to the conviction of that distinguished herpetologist. 



S. picta. Harlan. The painted Salamander. 



Journal Academy Nat. Sciences, vol. v. p. 136. 

 Harlan's Med. and Phys. Res. p. 98. 



I have never met with this species ; but Dr. Pickering, of 

 Philadelphia, informed me, some time since, that a specimen 

 belonged to the cabinet of the " Academy of Natural Sciences" 

 which was found in a well at Ipswich in this State ; I there- 

 fore extract from the Journal of the Academy, Harlan's de- 

 scription of the species : 



" Body blackish or dark slate color above, yellowish or light 

 orange color beneath ; skin beneath the neck, folded ; head 

 large ; legs strong ; tail compressed at its inferior portion 

 nearly the length of the body. 



Dimensions. Total length nearly four inches ; body rather 

 more than two inches ; tail less than two inches ; length of the 

 head six tenths ; breadth five tenths ; length of the hind legs 

 six tenths ; of the fore legs four tenths. 



Description. Head large, rather flat ; occiput broad, slightly 

 protuberant ; snout obtuse, rounded anteriorly ; rictus of the 

 mouth wide, extending posteriorly to the eyes ; anterior bor- 

 ders of the lips slightly undulating ; skin of the throat folded, 

 so as to form a collar nearly surrounding the neck; body 

 above, blackish; a longitudinal furrow extending from the 





