VARIATIONS OF THE SPOTTED SALAMANDEIJ. 335 



yellow, except on the gvilar region and on the sides of the belly. 

 The back, snout, and interorbital region bear no distinct markings, 

 but are speckled over with small yellowish dots. The parotoids 

 and upper eyelids are almost entii'ely of a reddish-brown colour. 

 This specimen must be I'egarrled as an individutd a.beriation of the 

 form above described, an aberration tending to the total suppies- 

 sion of the bright markings. 



Three specimens referable to the vai'. gallaica have been received 

 from M, de la Escaleia, who obtained them in the Loroya Valley, 

 near Madrid, at an altitude of 300 to 400 metres. Th.e spots are 

 moderately large, few or moderately numerous (G to 12), those on 

 the parotoids being either confluent with or distinct from those 

 on the upper eyelids and the dorsal region. The spot on the 

 eyelid in one of these specimens is entirely of a reddish brown, 

 ■chat on the parotoid partly reddish, partly yellow. In this and 

 a.nother specimen the interorbital region is also reddish. The 

 spot at the angle of the mouth in all three is brownish red in 

 colour. Lower surface and sirles black, minutely speckled over 

 with yellow; throat spotted with red. 



The true var. onolleri is represented in the British Museum 

 Collection by 7 specimens from Poi-tugal (Coimbia and Cintra), 

 including one of the types received from Dr. de Bedriaga, who 

 has thus described its coloration : — 



" The colour and pattern of this vai'iety are rather variable. The 

 ground-colour is usually a greyish blown, sometimes more of a 

 dirty grey, sometimes more brownish black or even black, broken 

 up above and below by pale j^ellow spots with an addition of grey 

 or greyish-brown spots into which the yellow passes gradually. 

 The yellow spots on the side of the body, on the limbs, on the tail, 

 on the parotoids, on the tliroat, and on the eyelids are as if 

 powdered over with red dust, or washed with red, or even blood- 

 red. The throat may sometimes acquire a deep red colour ; the 

 dorsal spots show hei-e and there a red dot. The yellow spots 

 are A^ery variable both in number and size ; they may be either 

 few, in which case they are large and roundish, or numerous and 

 horseshoe- or ring-shaped, and forming six or eight more or less 

 regular longitudinal series ; some of these spots break up or run 

 together, thus forming wavy bands. These spots may be so 

 iiumerous as to greatly reduce the ground-colour ; the yellow 

 spots on the head are in that case the more conspicuous and a 

 symmetrical or very ornamental pattern results." 



My father has drawn up the following notes on living specimens 

 exhibited in our Zoological Gardens, a few years ago. 



" Some specimens were black, variegated with various tints of 

 grey, brown, pale yellow, and crimson. The latter colour was 

 particularly conspicuous on the upper eyelids, the parotoid glands, 

 the base of the limbs, and on the throat, but it appeared also 

 as small patches within the area of the more or less irregidar 

 pale yellow spots with grey centres, which were disposed very 

 irregularly on the body and tail. One of the specimens was pale 



