248 



In living specimens the ground color approaches broAMiish red above, 

 fading on the lower sides and venter to salmon pink. The large dark blotches 

 are very dark brown or black. The head between the eyes, the snout, the 

 throat, the legs, and the sides of head and trunk are flecked ^\^th many small 

 whitish spots, which are soon lost in preservatives. 



Remarks. — This race is obviously more closely related to 

 typical ruber than to the other described subspecies, nitidus and 

 schencki, the chief distinguishing characteristics being found in 

 color and pattern. In old adults of P. ruber ruber the dark 

 pigmented spots are considerably enlarged but tend to fuse, 

 often, in fact, to such an extent that a mottled or marbled pattern 

 is developed (fig. 6). In P. ruber vioscai the adults of all sizes 

 are marked above with large dark spots well separated. There is 

 no tendency toward fusion of the spots, and the ground color is 

 sufficiently light to set them off in strong contrast (figs. 1,3). A 

 single living larva (fig. 2) exhibits the same pattern, which is 

 strikingly different from that found in the larvae of P. ruber 

 ruber. Typical ruber larvae are marked above with very small 

 black spots closely set on a dull brown ground color (fig. 5). 

 Whether or not the large spots are always present in the larvae of 

 vioscai can only be determined by the collection of additional 

 specimens. A single preserved larva in the collection, taken 

 with some adult specimens, is sparsely spotted with small flecks, 

 but may belong to P. montanus flavissimus. 



This new subspecies differs from the mountain races, nitidus 

 and schencki, in being considerably larger and in having much 

 larger black spots which extend to the tip of the tail. The 

 ground color also is darker and duller, and white flecks are present 

 on the head, trunk, and legs, as noted above. 



A few specimens which may properly be regarded as inter- 

 grades between ruber and vioscai have been noticed. Thus No. 

 57391, U. S. National Museum, from Mobile County, Ala., is a 

 large spotted individual which seems to be of intermediate 

 character. In fact, in individuals from the Coastal Plain region 

 of both the Gulf and the South Atlantic States, there is a tendency 

 to retain the large pigment spots separately, but never to the ex- 

 tent found in the specimens from Louisiana. 



Mr. Viosca has furnished the following field notes. 



This Red Salamander has been found only in the longleaf pine region 

 between Bogalusa and Franklinton. It occurs in or adjacent to the val- 



