ORDER BATRACHIA. 471 



more voluminous behind. Their colour is a deep red. There 

 appear to be no ureters. 



The skin of the terrestrial salamander is coriaceous, firm, 

 and yet fine and smooth, and covered with a semi-transparent 

 epithelium. Some lenticular cells pour vipon its surface a 

 milky bitter, and acrid humour, which would seem to have 

 given rise to the fable of the salamander being able to resist 

 fire. According to Lacepede, its taste is so caustic, that a 

 drop of it coming in contact with the tongue, produces a sen- 

 sation of burning. 



There is no oesophagus, properly speaking, in the salaman- 

 der. The pharynx degenerates, insensibly, into a fusiform 

 stomach, whose cavity is smooth, and provided with cells for 

 the secretion of mucus. 



Certain masses of an adipose, and, as it were, oily tissue, of 

 a yellow colour, have been found in the body of this reptile, 

 and have been supposed to minister to the nutrition of the 

 animal during its winter slumbers. But this is very far 

 from being demonstrated. Reproduction in the salamander 

 seems to resemble that of fishes. 



The terrestrial salamander is found in France, in Germany, 

 and even sometimes in very high latitudes. It is also found 

 in the southern parts of Europe. 



It takes up its abode in the humid earth, in the tufted 

 woods of high mountains, in ditches and shady places, under 

 stones and the roots of trees, in hedges, by the banks of 

 streams, in subterraneous caverns, and ruined buildings. 

 Though generally feared, it is by no means dangerous. The 

 milky fluid which exudes from its skin, and which it some- 

 times shoots to the distance of several inches, though nause- 

 ous, acrid, and, according to Gesner, even depilatory, is fatal 

 only to very small animals. This humour, however, doubt- 

 less was the cause of a general proscription of the salamander. 

 According to Pliny, by infecting with its poison all the vegc- 



