170 



THE SALAMANDER. 



ear is imperfect. The color of tlie Rbinophryne is slate-gray, with yellow spots on the sides 

 and a row of similar spots along the back. Sometimes these latter spots unite so as to form a 

 jagged line down the back. 



THE CRAWLING BATRACHIANS. 



We now arrive at the Crawling Batrachians, technically called Amphibia Gradientia. 

 All these creatures have a much elongated body, a tail which is never thrown off as in the 

 frogs and toads, and limbs nearly equal in development, but never very powerful. like the 

 preceding sub-order, the young are liatched from eggs, pass through the pieliminary or 

 tadpole state, and, except in a very few instances, the gills are lost when the animal attains its 

 perfect form. Both jaws are fuinished mth teeth, and the palate is toothed in some species. 

 The skin is without scales, and either smooth or covered with wart-like excrescences. There 

 is no true breast-bone, but some species have ribs. 



The develojament of the young from tlie egg is not quite the same as that of the tailless 

 Batrachians. Instead of being deposited in masses or long strings, the eggs are laid singly, 

 and are hatched in succession. When the young are first hatched they bear some resemblance 

 to the tadpole of the frog, the gills being very conspicuous. In these creatures, however, the 

 fore-legs make tlieir appearance first, and are soon followed by the hinder pair, whereas in the 

 frogs the hind-legs are seen for some time before the foi'e-limbs are visible externally. Further 

 remarks will be made on this subject when we come to the well-known representative of this 

 sub-order, the common newt or eft. 



"^^^..jj^4- 



SALAMANDER. — <b'a^a;rta«rfra tnaculosa. 



The celebrated Salamander, the subject of so many strange fables, is a species found 

 in many parts of the continent of Europe. 



This creature was formerly thought to be able to withstand the action of fire, and to 

 quench even the most glowing furnace with its icy body. It is singular how such ideas should 

 have been so long promulgated, for although Aristotle repeated the tale on hearsay, Pliny tried 

 the expeiiment, by x^utting a Salamander into the fire, and remarks, with evident surprise, that 

 it was burned to a powder. A jsiece of cloth dipped in the blood of a Salamander was said to 

 be unhurt by fire, and certain persons had in their possession a fire-proof fabric made, as they 

 stated, of Salamander's wool, but which proved to be asbestos. 



Another fable reflated of this creature still holds its ground, though perhaps with little 

 reason. I h;i,ve already mentioned one or two instances of the prejudices which are so deeply 

 ingrained in the rustic mind, and given a short account of the superstitions prevalent in France 



