166 OUR REPTILES, 



M. Deby thus compares the two species : 

 L. punctatus. L. palmatus. 



1. Tail generally tapering 1. Tail suddenly truncate 

 to a point. before the apex, and termi- 

 nating in a slender filament 

 three lines in length. 



2. Hind feet having the 2. Hind feet perfectly pal- 

 toes free, only edged by a mate, all the toes united by 

 membrane. a membrane. 



3. Back with a very large 3. Back flattened, with two 

 festooned undulating crest, elevated lateral lines passing 

 which extends from the nape above the eyes and extending 

 of the head to the end of the to the base of the tail. The 

 tail. No lateral elevated dorsal crest small and simple, 

 ridges. 



4. Length much greater 4. Size much smaller than 

 than palmatus. punctatus.* 



The females are more difficult to distinguish 

 from the same sex of the common smooth newt 

 than are the males; but even these present 

 features which are characteristic, and which 

 were indicated by Mr. Wolley as supplementary 

 to the above. Their heads seem broader and 

 shorter than in L. punctatus, and the toes of 

 their hind feet are, for the most part, shorter ; 

 the males also have the former, but not the latter 

 character. As to the colour, if in a genial situ- 

 ation the belly is usually a delicate milk-and- 



* The Zoologist, p. 2232. 



