COMMON WARTY-NEWT. 



The egg, when first deposited (fig. 1 of the woodcut), is 

 very lightly tinged with buff ; it is surrounded by a glairy 

 envelope, to which it is not attached, but rotates unrestrain- 

 edly within it. The first obvious change which takes place 

 is the elongation of the white embryo, which in a few days 

 exhibits somewhat of a division into a cephalic, an abdominal, 

 and a caudal portion ; and shortly afterwards, as at figure 2, 

 the developement has advanced so far as to afford indications 

 of the branchiae on each side of the neck, and even a slight 

 enlargement at the part where the anterior feet will hereafter 

 make their appearance. In the space of a few days more, 

 the state of the embryo is such as we observe at figure 3. 

 The different lobes of the branchiae are now distinctly seen, 

 though still simple ; the anterior pair of lobes are the holders, 

 by which the little animal afterwards attaches itself to leaves, 

 or other bodies ; and behind the branchiae may be observed 

 a slight eminence on each side, which is the rudiment of the 

 anterior foot. At this stage a double dorsal line of minute 

 brown spots may be seen. All these characters continue to 

 be hourly developed ; and in the state which is represented at 

 figures 4, 5, it quits its envelope, which has been continually 

 becoming elongated to accord with the changing form of the 

 embryo. On first issuing from the egg, it swims about, says 

 Rusconi, without apparent consciousness of any impediments, 

 striking against a leaf, or the sides of the vessel, and imme- 

 diately adhering by its holders to the substance against which 

 it happens to strike, and remains thus suspended for a time, 

 as if asleep ; and then, without any apparent excitement, 

 swims off to another part. The developement of the young 

 Tadpole, for such it must now be considered, progresses with 

 considerable rapidity after its exclusion from the egg. In a 

 fortnight, or three weeks, according to the temperature, it 

 has acquired the condition exhibited in figures 6, 7. The 

 branchiae now offer one of the most beautiful and elegant 



