80 BULLETIN 34, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



nal]y to A. punctatum, which, however, never exhibits the series of 

 spots on the side of belly aud lower part of sides of body and tail, the 

 spots being confiued to the vicinity of the median line above. In A. t. 

 californiense when dorsal spots occur they are less regular, though of 

 much the same size. In tj^pical A. tigrinum the yellow spots are much 

 smaller, more numerous, aud more scattered; very i)rominent on the 

 belly. There are many essential differences in form from A. puncta- 

 tum — as the more widely separa'ed external nostrils, the anterior an- 

 gle of the palatines, the depressed short digits, more compressed and 

 sharply ridged tail, etc. 



A description of a specimen of var. y may also be usefnl for refer- 

 ence. 



The form is very heavy and clumsy ; the head very broad ; the gape 

 twice as wide as long. The inner nares are about as far apart as the 

 outer. The gular fold is very distinct and overlapping ; the neck much 

 constricted. There is no dorsal groove distinctly evident. 



The tail is much compressed aud elevated. In the type selected 

 there is a sharp ridge above and below near the tip. 



The limbs are rather short ; the digits very broad at the base, triangu- 

 lar, and much depressed. There is little appreciable difference in the 

 length of the third and fourth toes. 



The tongue is very broad, wider than long, filling the rami anteriorly 

 and considerably more than half the width of the head. 



The palatine teeth form a nearly continuous series; nearly straight, 

 but slightly obtuse anteriorly where it reaches to the line of the poste- 

 rior border of theinuer nares. Laterally the series extends one diameter 

 of the inner nares beyond their outer margin. The limbs of the very 

 obtuse V ^^6 not straight, but slightly bow-shaped. There is a slight 

 interruption along the median line. 



The ground color is purplish black, with transversely elongated 

 blotches of yellow. These appear to be arranged in one dorsal series 

 on each side the median line of the back (coming up to it and the oppo- 

 site ones sometimes confluent), and another on the side of the belly, of 

 larger size and ascending high on the sides. The latter are sometimes 

 more or less confluent on the same side. The central region of the 

 belly is generally of the dark ground color. There may be six or eight 

 of these blotches from head to base of tail, and as many on the side of 

 the tail, where, indeed, they generally form yellow rings, interrupted 

 below. The limbs are blotched black and yellow iu about equal pro- 

 portions. 



Proportional dimevsions. 



(Spec. — 39551. Amhystoma Hgritmm, Fort Bliss, N. Mex.) 

 Head : 



Length of gape of mouth to its width one-half. 



Width of gape of mouth to distance from snout to gular fold equal. 



Width of gape of mouth to distance from snout to groin contained 3^ times. 



Width of gape of mouth to distance from snout to behind anus.. .,,-., 4^ times. 



I 



