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TIIK HATliACMIA OF NORTH AMERICA. 



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tail, I'xtciHliiif; down on tlic sides as tiaiisverso ellipsoid bauds of 

 lai'j;e size, perhaps equal t(» the spaee between I wo costal {grooves; the 

 bIol(^hes of opposite sides scuuetiiues alternate, sonu'tinies are opi)osite, 

 and are I'nMpuMitl.v eonllneiil here ami there, which is ^'enerally the 

 case on the tail, where they form yellow eneirelinj; riujjs, interrupted 

 below. Alonj; the sides ol" belly and lower part of the sides is ii sinii- 

 lar series of yellow ellipses, but usually lariLM'r; those of the same side 

 usually somewhat eoiilluent, .soiuetiuu's entirely so, leaviufjf a du.sky 

 central Hue of the belly. The limbs are blot(!he<l black and yellow. 



The yellow sometinu's predominates so as to abuost Ibrm the fj^rouud 

 color, encr()achinj>' lai'^'ely, too, on the yt'llow of the belly. In general, 

 however, there is little or uo tendency to an anastoim)sis or reticula- 

 tion of the dark intersi»aces, as in an allied sjx'cies. Smaller, rounded, 

 irregularly scattered spots of yi'llow are seldom, if ever, seeu as iu 

 Eastern form. 



The ground C()lor is sonu'tiuu's uniforndy dusky above, although the 

 lighter transverse ellipses can be usually made out; perhaps they are 

 always apprecial)le in life. 



Dunuh'il and IJibrou have given a good colored ligure of this form 

 under the nauu^ Amhi/stoinv <i' bdittUs. The green is, however, too bril- 

 liant. 



In the pre(!e(liug general description I have endeavored to represent 

 the distinguishing features of what 1 believe to be a single species vary, 

 ing very much in shape of palatine teeth, proportions, color, etc. From 

 the synonymy it will be seen that 1 combine undej' the oldest luinie of 

 mai'ortium, pninrrpine and nrhiilnsitm also. Although the type speci- 

 mens of these supposed sjiecies dilfer sutlitnently among each other, yet 

 there are sullicient coniu'cting links in tlu' large series before lue, ami it 

 M()uld be no dillicult task to pick out a dozen more specimens each as 

 distinct from the other and the above as the latter are among them- 

 selves. 



One great source of the diversity of character in diiVerent specimens 

 of this Protean species is to be found in the veiy dilferent sizes of speci- 

 mens in thesanu' stage of growth, while iu some the lull metamorphosis 

 will have been atu-omplished with a length of three or lour inches, in 

 others the braiichi;e are still visible at a miu-h greater size. In one 

 female specimen of 8 inches in length ( 1*>7S), the branchiae are still a[>- 

 piei'iable, the lissures in the neck not being closed up, although the 

 ovaries and oviduct would indicate that it was captured when in full 

 breeding (tonditiou. Thisembryonii' tendency isalmostalways indicated 

 further by shoiter gape of the mouth, the tongue smaller. Hatter, more 

 .idherent, not at all or very little free at the edges, ami little or not at 

 all papillose, but exhibiting a cartilaginous surface. The palatine 

 teeth in the embryonic stati' are more aiclied anteriorly, more or less 

 parallel with the maxillary seri»'s. less |uominent above the soft palate, 

 and extending a less distance laterally. T'he digits are more depresed, 



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