PALMATE NEWT. 167 



water white, tinged more or less with yellow 

 towards the middle line ; the back and sides of 

 the body and tail are of a dark olive-green, and 

 in some, particularly very large specimens, are 

 beautifully mottled by a network of lighter 

 colour. In moor land the skin becomes harsh, 

 and coloured more like the females of the 

 common newt, sometimes even to the orange 

 belly.* 



The distinguishing features of this species 

 are, besides belonging to the smooth- skinned 

 section, that there is a prominent line running 

 down on each side of the back, from the nose to 

 the hind legs. The crest, or fin, along the back 

 and tail is highest on the tail. The toes of the 

 male are united and completely webbed. The 

 upper part of the body of the male is olive- 

 brown or greenish, with dark spots, with a wide 

 band of yellowish white, bordered with round 

 spots, on the side of the tail ; and the belly is 

 yellow, with a few darker spots. The female is 

 lighter coloured, and differs so much in general 

 appearance in the spring that it has been de- 

 scribed as a distinct species, 



Mr. Higginbottom thus summarizes the cha- 

 racteristics of this species : 



1st. Tail suddenly truncate before the apex, 



* The Zoologist, p. 2268. 



