77 



I. Tritons with transverse and longitudinal series of palatine teeth. 



TRITON DORSALIS.— Harlan. 



Plate XXV. 



Characters. Head and body above olive-brown, with a tinge of green; on 

 each side of the mesial line is a row of bright vermilion circular spots; throat 

 and abdomen orange, studded with small black dots; tail longer than the head, 

 neck, and trunk; greatly compressed laterally throughout its whole extent.* 



Synontme. Salamandra dorsalis, Harlan, Jour. Acad. Nat. Scien. Philad., vol. vi. p. 101. 



Description. The head is short, broad behind, and rather pointed at the snout. 

 The mouth is large; the tongue is broad, flat, entire, adherent in all parts, except 

 at its lateral and anterior margins. 



The nostrils are anterior; the eyes are full and prominent, the pupil black, the 

 iris flame-colour; the neck and body are the same size as the head, and cylindrical 

 in form, with a transverse fold at the throat. 



The anterior extremities are small and delicate, and terminate in four small 

 fingers; the posterior extremities have more than twice the bulk of the anterior, 

 and terminate in five short flexible toes, united at their roots. The tail is thick 

 at the root, but soon becomes compressed at the sides throughout its whole 

 extent. 



Vol. V.— 11 



