35% AMPHIBIA, [SeJ>tenjlKai^ 



old logs, Mliicli liave fallen in the water. If tliey ar<^ 

 found in marshy places, upon removing the stone^ ot 

 logj which conceals them, they show but little inclina- 

 tion to stir^ and seem as if just aroused from sleep ; bni 

 in shallovv' water they arc more active on being disco- 

 vered. I confined a number of these in a box^ prepar- 

 ed for the purpose, wherein was a shallow vessel of 

 w:atci> surrounded with eart]}, forming a little standr 

 iag pool ; and in this situation I observed them atten- 

 tively for soiiie weeks. I liave no doubt they are 

 nccturnal animals^ leaving their retreats in search of 

 food during the night. This seems tjic most appro- 

 priate time for the purpose, for then their foo(l, which 

 is principally small \vorm35 i^ ^^*>s^ easily obtained* 

 Besides^ tiiey are thp prey of the gniall American Bit- 

 ti^iU, and if they waiiflered about during daylight 

 tliey would be almost exieriiiinated by their voracious 

 fee, whi> even when in their retreats devours many, 

 and ni'.itiiales groat numbers of them. At all events, 

 tli'J&e I had confined rarely left the water during the 

 idaytime, and were generally out of it during the 

 fvight. T^i^ eyes of mo.st ch the Genus Salamandra 

 sjc very prominent, so as to enable tiicm to discovei*^^ 

 cbjccta in every direction around tlit^m; but as a pronii-. 

 Be lit eye would be very liable to injury, w^lien undei^ 

 sioiies', aiid oLher places of refuge, the animals have. 

 iko power of wiihdrn^vh]^-; It entirely into the head. 

 J observed in those confiued^ t-iat vrhen under the wa- 

 ter the eve reiraiiied iinbeddcd in the socket, but as 

 s^lQK as the Iiead w as elevated above tiie surface it 

 wa^ puiv^oCoC^- Wljctkcr by thi:^ Eiotion of the c^ 



