115 



SALAMANDRA AURICULATA. 



Plate XXVIII. 



Characters. Head small, with a reddish-brown spot near the ear; body and 

 tail cylindrical, with a series of minute reddish-brown spots on each side. 



Description. The head is small, rounded above and in front. The eyes are 

 prominent, but small; the pupil is black, the iris reddish-brown. The nostrils are 

 small, lateral, and are wider apart than in the Salamanders generally. The neck 

 is slightly contracted, Avith a small cutaneous fold at the throat. 



The body is long and cylindrical; the tail is long, round, but slightly compressed 

 at the tip. 



The anterior extremities are small, with four fingers, of which the third is the 

 longest. The posterior extremities are also small, but thicker than the anterior; 

 they each terminate in five toes, of which the third is the longest. Both fingers 

 and toes are destitute of nails. 



Colour. The Salamandra auriculata is dusky-brown above, rather darker upon 

 the head, with an oblong reddish-brown spot behind the ear. On each side of the 

 body is a row of small and sub-round reddish-brown spots, extending as far as 

 the extremity of the tail; these spots on the flanks frequently are double, but 

 very closely approximated. The throat and abdomen are light grey, with a 

 tinge of violet at the throat. 

 Vol. III.— 1G 



