150 OUE EEPTILES. 



eels to live on land, and exchange their fishy 

 habits for those of a snake. The snake may love 

 to lie in water sometimes, but it still remains 

 terrestrial, and the eel may be found on land, 

 but is no less aquatic. The triton may be 

 thoroughly aquatic at one period of its existence, 

 and as completely terrestrial at another. Any 

 attempts to subvert nature will only end in dis- 

 appointment. 



The amount of cold which the triton is able 

 to bear is greater than one would suppose. On 

 this point Mr. Higginbottom writes : 



I put two tritons into some water, and exposed them to a 

 freezing temperature during the night ; in the morning I 

 found the water frozen very firmly, with the tritons enclosed 

 in its centre. On thawing they were lively and flexible. In 

 the second experiment there was a piece of ice at the bottom 

 of a circular vessel. I placed two tritons upon it, and then 

 another covering of ice, and filled the vessel with water. I 

 exposed it during the night in the open air to a temperature 

 of 28 F. In the morning the whole had become a solid 

 mass of ice twelve inches in circumference, with the animals 

 in the centre. On breaking the ice carefully they were 

 found completely encased in the ice. I had some difficulty 

 in separating the extremity of one, but being liberated it 

 used its arms and legs equally well."* 



The Warty Newt is characterized by the fol- 

 lowing features. The skin is warted, and uni- 

 formly covered with scattered pores ; a row of 



* " Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist.," 1853, p. 378. 



