THE BATRACHTA OF NORTH AMERICA. 203 



in liaving a compressed tail." Under this genus Le included five siiecies: 

 T. hypoxanthus, T fuscus, T. vitidescens, T. nehulosus, and T. miniatus. 

 Tlie T.fuscus is llie Desmognailtus fusca of Bahd ; the T. viridescens and 

 T. miniatus are included under the present genus, while the application 

 of the other two names is unknown. Under the head of the T. viri- 

 descens (p. 5), he remarks: "It must form a peculiar subgenus Diemyc- 

 tylus, distinguished by the fore-feet semipalmate, with four equal toes, 

 the posterior with only three toes and two lateral knobs; jaws nearly 

 equal, eyes elliptic," etc. Immediately following on the same page the 

 author proposes the subgencric name Notophthalmus for the T. miniatus, 

 in the following language: "It has almost the characters of the sub- 

 genus Diemyctylus, but differs yet from it by having the toes of the 

 fore-feet free and unequal, the lateral ones much shorter, whence it may 

 form another subgenus Notophtlialmus." 



The first publication of the name Triturus makes it synonymous 

 with the Triton of Laurenti, and all subsequent uses of the name, even 

 by the same author, must yield to this one. Now Laurenti does not in- 

 clude a single species of Diemyctylus in his Triton^ so that the name 

 is not applicable to the present genus. It must be applied to a genus 

 of Salamandridfe whose species are placed by Boulenger in the section 

 of his genus Molge, which is without postfronto-squamosal arch. 



One year later than Eafinesque, Merrera (1820) proposed the name 

 Molge for a series of species which embraced, with those of Triturus, 

 oue species of Diemyctylus, D, palmatns [Molge palmata Schiieid.). The 

 Trituri being abstracted by the prior name, Molge should remain for 

 the last-named species. But it w\^s in the same year that IJafiiiesque 

 proposed Diemyctylus for the same genus, and it now becomes a ques- 

 tion as to the day of the year on which the works of these two authors 

 were respectively issued. As Eafinesque's bears the early date of 

 March, I retain it until it is shown that Mcrrem's Tentamen was pub- 

 lished previously. On this point I have not as yet obtained definite 

 information. 



The two North American species of this genus differ as follows; 



Head wider, flat, without keels; middle fingers aud toes shorter ; colors uuiforra, un- 

 spotted ; larger D. torostis. 



Head narrow, more elevated, and with two longitudinal keels; middle fingers and 

 toes longer ; spotted more or less thickly ; smaller D. viridesceHS. 



Both of these species are aquatic in their habits, and they are the 

 only species found in North America which are truly so ; that is, they 

 do not live on the bottom or under stones, but swim or suspend them- 

 selves in comparatively deep water. 



