COMMON SMOOTH NEWT OR EFT. 155 



aquarium ; they always crawl out if they have the oppor- 

 tunity, seeming to eschew the very element they are gene- 

 rally found in when caught. These effets readily took food 

 from the hand, particularly if it was rubbed against their 

 noses ; they seemed almost too sluggish to take much trouble 

 in the matter else. I gave them small worms, gentles, and 

 ants' eggs ; they seized them with a bite, and got them down 

 with a series of gulps. But I hardly ever fed them, perhaps 

 not more than a dozen times altogether, as my object was to 

 combine business with pleasure ; the fern-case, in common 

 with most others I expect, being at times much blighted 

 with green fly. I first put in lizards, to try and keep them 

 down, but could not keep the lizards alive for any length of 

 time, owing, I think, to the dampness of the case not being 

 suitable to their constitutions, and their active habits making 

 them require more food than they could obtain. I then 

 tried small toads, and had the same luck with them as with 

 the lizards. My third venture, the newts, were a great 

 success ; they soon cleared off all the green fly within reach, 

 crawling to nearly the top of the ponds for that purpose. I 

 have never had any trouble with the green fly since their 

 introduction to the case.* 



About the month of September, the smooth 

 newts seek a comfortable spot in which to pass 

 their long winter sleep. It may be under stones, 

 bricks, or pieces of timber, but is not often far 

 beneath the surface of the soil. On this occasion 

 they may be found, like the warty newt, in com- 

 panies, closely packed together 



Rolled up like a ball, 

 In a hole snug and small, 

 They sleep till warm weather comes back, poor things. 



Science Gossip, vol. L p. 39. 



