NOTES ON THE BREEDING HABITS OF 

 AMBLYSTOMA PUNCTATUM. 



ALBERT HAZEN WRIGHT. 



Probably in early spring no amphibian eggs are more common 

 in central New York than those of Amblystoma punctatum. And 

 yet our knowledge of the salamanders themselves, from their first 

 appearance at this season through the egg-laying period, is meager 

 as compared with what is known subsequent to the deposition of 

 their eggs. Of the early part of the breeding period I wish to 

 record some notes made at Ithaca by various members of the 

 Department of Neurology and Vertebrate Zoology during the 

 last eight years. 



Ithaca is located at the south end of Cayuga Lake valley. 

 North and south of the city are large swampy areas. On the 

 east, south and west are high steep hills, through which are cut 

 numerous ravines. In these places and in marshy areas on the 

 hills, Amblystoma is found to be very abundant in early spring. 



At this season the salamanders migrate from winter quarters 

 to suitable breeding-places, and the Ithaca marshes have always 

 proved a favorite locality. Along the borders and through the 

 middle of these swamps are several steam railroads and one elec- 

 tric railway. These prove an excellent check on the first appear- 

 ance of Amblystomas, toads, wood-, meadow- and pickerel-frogs, 

 and were it not for these railroads our records of first appearance 

 would coincide with those of egg-laying. 



In one place, where the electric railway passes near the mouth 

 of a large ravine, 1 00-150 of Amblystoma punctatum are killed 

 yearly. On April 6, 1906, 54 were counted, all having been 

 killed the previous evening. The migration does not begin until 

 dark. The street cars run until 11 P. M. and cross this spot 

 about thirty times in an evening. When, as above stated, 54 

 were killed in four hours, what must be the number that cross 

 these tracks during these intervals and after 11 P. M. ! 



The migration is quite clear. In the ravines in early spring 

 we obtain the adults, but never their eggs. At the time the 



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