258 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



late April or early May in the vicinity of Ithaca and somewhat 

 later in the vicinity of Duck lake. The ovarian eggs observed by 

 Moesel correspond closely in number to those actually found in 

 the field where complements were noted containing, on the average, 

 about fifty. These notes constitute practically all that has been 

 recorded concerning breeding habits of the species. 



On May 14, 1919, the writer, while sifting for spiders with 

 Prof. C. R. Crosby of Cornell University, found the eggs of the 

 four-toed salamander with the female coiled about them in the 

 bogs of the Mud pond basin near McLean, N. Y. 



The McLean bogs are part of a series extending in a northeast- 

 southwest direction between Ithaca and Cortland, N. Y. Originally 

 of considerable area, the actual sphagnum-heath formations are now 

 of comparatively small extent and diminishing with the encroach- 

 ment of grass and shrub and tree. Mud pond itself (plate I, figures 

 I and 2) is surrounded by bushy swamps and grass bogs with occa- 

 sional patches of sphagnum and other mosses scattered about the 

 margin among the clumps of shrubs. A characteristic shrub, herb 

 and sphagnum association on the border of this pond may be presented 

 as a typical habitat of HemidactyHum during the period of, deposition 

 and incubation of the eggs. 



The common woody shrubs are represented by clumps of red- 

 osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera), hoary alder (A 1 n u s 

 i n c a n a) , and an occasional shad bush (Amelanchier sp). 

 A few seedlings of the arrow- wood (Viburnum dentatum) 

 and vines of Clematis virginiana find root among the 

 larger shrubs. The herbaceous plants consist principally of 

 small groups of meadow rue (Thalictrum polygamum), 

 white violet (Viola bland a), touch-me-not (Impatiens 

 b i f 1 o r a) , water pennywort (Hydrocotyle americana) 

 and scattered single plants of the cuckoo flower (Cardamine 

 pratensis). In the open water spaces between, the marsh 

 marigold (Caltha palustris) and other bog-loving forms 

 are scattered. Rank growths of sphagnum and other mosses cover 

 the roots and bases of the shrubs and in these masses of moss the 

 four-toed salamander lays her eggs (plate 2, figures i and 2). 



In every instance the eggs were found buried to a depth of 3 or 

 4 inches in the moss and within 6 inches of the water. In every 

 instance the female was found either partly coiled upon the eggs 

 or about them. When disturbed the female often made an effort 

 to escape by burrowing in the moss but sometimes she seemed 

 inclined to stay with her eggs. It is almost impossible to find 



