No. 2.] THE SPERMATOPHORES OF DIEMYCTYLUS. 267 



about May 15th there is a perceptible slackening in the " Lie- 

 besspiel," and spermatophores are rarely discharged after the 

 first of June. The male, heretofore amorous to an extraor- 

 dinary degree, has by the latter date become comparatively 

 quiescent and unsusceptible. 



If at any time during the month of April several pairs of 

 newts are freshly captured from the ponds, and the sexes kept 

 apart over night, the phenomena of copulation may be observed 

 on bringing the animals together in pairs on the following 

 morning. In many cases an interesting courtship precedes the 

 actual clasping of the female. As soon as the male becomes 

 aware of the presence of the female in his neighborhood, he 

 becomes somewhat agitated, and usually begins to move 

 stealthily towards the female with an air of exaggerated cau- 

 tion. It not infrequently happens that the latter, on perceiv- 

 ing his approach, darts away in a state of great excitement, 

 and has to be patiently approached again and again by her 

 unwearied suitor. When the male is finally allowed to come 

 into the immediate neighborhood of the then passive female, 

 he usually enters upon a series of contortions resembling those 

 witnessed at the time of the discharge of the spermatophores. 

 After a few seconds of this suggestive "Vorspiel" the male 

 vaults quickly upon the back of the female and clasps her 

 tightly around the body with his strong hind legs. When the 

 animals have been for some time in captivity, or a number of 

 individuals of both sexes are together in one aquarium, this 

 deliberate courtship is not observed, and the male clasps the 

 female without any ceremonious preliminary. It often happens 

 that he first catches the female by the hinder part of the body, but 

 if he retains his hold for longer than a few minutes, he invariably 

 moves forward until he has the female securely clasped under 

 her throat, either directly before or directly behind her fore 

 legs. Once in this position no attempt of the female can dis- 

 lodge him, and he may cling there for hours. On a number of 

 occasions I have seen females appear much the worse for this 

 rough usage, and on one occasion an apparently robust female 

 lay as if dead for several hours after the male had left her, 

 although she eventually revived. 



When the male is thus mounted, a period of comparative quiet 

 ensues, lasting from thirty minutes to several hours in individual 



