BREEDING HABITS OF AMBLYSTOMA PUNCTATUM. 287 



The first egg records for the last eight years follow: 



1900, April 6 



1901, April 13 



1902, March 28, 3 days after first appearance of the species. 



1903, March 20, 7 " " " " " " " 



1904, April S, 4 " " " " " " " 



1905, April, 11 



1906, April 14,17 " " " " " " " 



1907, March 30, 6 " " " " " " " 



So far as I am able to determine there are very few observa- 

 tions upon egg-laying in nature. In 1878, Samuel F. Clarke 

 made the following observations upon some captive females : "I 

 was interested to find, after carefully watching the process a 

 number of times, that the number of eggs deposited at a time 

 depends upon accident. If the creature is disturbed, as by 

 another individual striking against or touching it, or by the 

 moving or jarring of the dish, she immediately suspends opera- 

 tions, and seeks some more quiet spot for the continuance of her 

 labors. I have seen a single egg deposited and again a bunch 

 containing one hundred and fifty. While the eggs are being 

 extruded the animal usually lies with its anterior limbs extended 

 laterally, while the hind limbs are curved around the opening of 

 the cloaca and appear to assist in holding together the eggs as 

 they are laid." 



Egg-laying apparently takes place almost entirely at night. 

 A chance discovery made while studying the early breeding 

 habits of our local Anura may tend to confirm this view. At 9 

 P. M. of March 30, 1907, I found the Amblystomas of one pond 

 swimming restlessly about its edges in considerable numbers and 

 suspected that egg-laying was about to begin. At 9:30 P. M. 

 another pond was visited and by means of an electric flashlight 

 three different females of Ambly stoma pimctatum were found in 

 the egg-laying position. 



This pond is 30 x 15 feet in diameter, 2-3 feet deep, and the 

 banks steep. The bottom is covered with dead leaves. In the 

 pond are brush and growing smartweed [Polygonum Hydropiper). 

 About the pond the first adult Amblystomas were taken March 



24 ; the first spermatophores were deposited in the pond March 



25 ; and the first eggs laid March 30. 



