FAMILY SALAMANDRIDiE. 83 



S. talpoidea. (Id. lb. Vol.5.) Uniform dusky throughout ; body short and thick; head large, with 



a contracted neck. Tail continuous, compressed towards the tip. Length three inches. Sea islands, 



S. C. 

 S. quadrimaculata. (Id. lb. Vol. 5, plate.) Head rather large; snout rounded. Body elongated, 



stout, dusky above, tinged with purple, and with two series of elongated subquadrate red spots. Tail 



of a similar color, with a red central line. Length three and a half inches. Pennsylvania to 



Georgia. 

 S- haldemani. (Id. lb. Vol.5.) Head flattened above; snout rounded. Body and tail pale yellow 



above, slightly olive at the flanks, marked with dusky spots and blotches disposed in three irregular 



longitudinal series. Length four inches. Pennsylvania to Virginia. 



GENUS TRITON. Laurenti, Holbrook partim. 



Tongue fish-like, attached more or less at its borders, only free at its anterior extremity. 

 Tail compressed. Length various. 



Obs. This genus is composed strictly of aquatic species ; occasionally, however, they are 

 found on land. 



THE TIGER TRITON. 



(Triton tigeinhs.) 

 PLATE XV. FIG. 32— (STATE COLLECTION.) 



Saianumdra tigrina. Green, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sc. Vol. 5, p. 116. 

 S. id. Harlan, Med. and Phys. Researches, p. 9.3. 



S. id. Holbrook, N. Am. Herpetology, Vol. 3, p. 109, pi. 25. 



Characteristics. Bluish black, with numerous irregular yellowish blotches over the head, 

 body, tail and extremities. Tail compressed from its origin. Length six 

 inches. 



Description. Body robust, cylindrical, smooth. Head broad and rounded. Nostrils small, 

 lateral. Eyes large and prominent. Mouth wide. Neck contracted with a fold. Fore feet 

 short, with four toes. Tail longer than the body, and compressed to a very thin edge above 

 and beneath. Beneath granulate. 



Color. Above bluish black ; in a modified light, lustrous. The spots on the upper surface 

 pale ochre or lemon yellow, rounded or oblong ; their general direction is vertical to the axis 

 of the body. Chin dusky yellow. Abdomen greyish, with dull yellow blotches. Pupil 

 black ; irides brown and yellow. Tail unspotted beneath. 



Length, 6-0 -• 7-0. 



I am unacquainted with the habits of this species, except that it is occasionally found in 

 decayed hollow trees. Those which I obtained, were from the vicinity of Oneida lake. It 

 resembles, in some respects, the S. subviolacea ; but a slight attention to its characters will 

 show it to be specifically distinct. 



