PALMATE NEWT. 163 



and the present species, with a view to the cor- 

 rection of those who had maintained that the 

 Palmate Newt was only a variety of the common 

 newt ; whilst Mr. Bell had announced his belief 

 in its being a species entirely new to science. 

 We believe that Mr. Edward Newman first 

 declared that it was specifically distinct from 

 Lophinus punctatus, and, moreover, that it was 

 " not new to science/' but was really the true 

 Palmated Newt. 



Five-and-twenty years ago, Mr. Holdsworth 

 says, in company with other small boys, he used 

 to catch black-footed newts in a pond near Dart- 

 mouth, in Devonshire; the means of capture 

 being of the simplest kind, consisting of a bit 

 of twine fastened to a small bent pin, and a 

 worm for bait. He had since caught a great 

 many of these newts, and three years ago (1860) 

 they were abundant in the same pond. In 1863 

 he spent a few days in Herefordshire, and near 

 the village of Letton, about twelve miles from 

 Hereford, had again the satisfaction of seeing 

 Lissotriton palmipes in abundance, although, as 

 far as he could ascertain, confined to one pond. 

 In this case, as well as at Dartmouth, L. palmipes 

 was the only species to be found. A number of 

 specimens were sent by him to the Zoological 

 Gardens, and at a meeting of the Zoological 

 M 2 



