125 



Aquatic Hitt 



Aquatic JLitt 



Vol. V December, 1920 No. 12 



An international monthly magazine devoted to 

 the study, care i nd breeding of fishes and other 

 animals and plants in the home a quariuin and 

 terrarium. 



W. A. POYSER, F. R. M. S EDITOR 



JOSEPH E. BAUSMAN PUBLISHER 



632 East Girard Avenue Philadelphia 



Entered as second-class matter, September 2d, 

 1915, at the Post Office. Philadelphia , Pa., under 

 Act of March 3d, 1879. 



Popular and scientific articles and notes on sub- 

 jects pertt ining to the aquarium and terrarium, 

 and to the hf bits of fishes in general, are always 

 wanted for "Aquatic Life." Readers are invited 

 to join in making it a medium of mutual help by 

 contributing to it the results of their studies. 

 The pages are always open to anyone having in- 

 formation of interest to the aquarist and student 

 of aquatic biology. Manuscripts, books for re- 

 view and general correspondence should be ad- 

 dressed to the editor. 



"Aquatic Life" has the largest circulation of 

 any magazine in the world devoted to aquatic 

 nature-study. It offers to i dvertisers a market 

 that can be retched through no other medium. 

 Kates made known on application. 



YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION $1.25 



FOREIGN SUBSCRIPTION 1.50 



SINGLE COPY 15 



Payments should be made by money order, draft 

 or registered letter. If local checks are sent, ten 

 cents should be added for collection charges. For- 

 eign remittances should be by international 

 money order. 



Copyright 1921 by Joseph E. Bailsman. 



whose excellent photograph is repro- 

 duced herewith. 



The specimen was found in a dense 

 woodland at the edge of a small rain pool 

 about four feet in diameter, and was hid- 

 ing under a bit of wood scarcely large 

 enough to cover it. The sky was overcast 

 and rain had been falling for about two 

 hours, it being noon when the specimen 

 was taken. 



On September iith it was placed in a 

 cylindrical jar, 14 inches high, and 15 

 inches in diameter, a vivarium which 

 also contained two young box tortoises 

 (|J4 inches), a painted turtle ( \ [ /> 

 inches), and a snake ( 17 inches). The 

 jar was fitted with about two inches of 

 leat mold from the woods, a pan of water 

 about 4 inches in diameter and plants 

 such as spotted wintergreen and wan- 

 dering jew. Some red plant lice, aphids, 

 were offered at this time, hut the writer 



did not observe that any were eaten. 



The salamander would sit the day long 

 peeping from under the pan of water, 

 appearing to be watching the movements 

 of an eel in the adjoining jar, the obser- 

 vation of which suggested that it might 

 be hungry. From September 14th to 

 November 18th little was seen of the 

 salamander, it apparently being in a state 

 of hibernation, but once when seen at 

 night still appeared to be in perfect con- 

 dition. On the latter date it was moved 

 to a smaller jar (10 inches high by 8 

 inches in diameter), with a small Ple- 

 thodon, a long-tailed species. This jar 

 was thought to present more favorable 

 conditions, containing dead leaves, pieces 

 of bark and twigs, smooth stones and 

 about half an inch of water. From this 

 time on both specimens have been out 

 and about continually, and since Novem- 

 ber 25th out every night, often with a 

 bright moon full upon them. From No- 

 vember 29th to January 8th, 1921, the 

 Amblystoma would sit sheltered under 

 the piece of bark with at least half of 

 its body exposed, and the writer took 

 from this that the salamander finding it- 

 self undisturbed by the prowlings of 

 other animals had no desire to hide. The 

 former belief that they desired to hiber- 

 nate would thus be unfounded. 



On December 1st the salamander ate 

 three meal worms in rapid succession. 

 These were almost one-third its length, 

 which at this time was 4^ inches. At 

 this "stage of the game" an interesting 

 thing happened. The long-tailed indi- 

 vidual attempted to eat one of the meal 

 worms, but the worm was too large for 

 it, and the marbled salamander apparent- 

 ly becoming angry snapped at the Ple- 

 thodon, catching hold of a leg. The 

 "long-tail" retaliated, but then the writer 

 interferred and the worm was quickly 

 disposed of by the larger of the two. 

 Neither specimen had been observed to 

 (Concluded on page 12/ ) 



