64 CADUCIBRANCHIATA. 



1. Plethodon erythronotus, Green. (14) 



THE RED-BACKED SALAMANDER. 



Synonyms, Salamandra erythronota, Green, btorer, 

 De Kay, Holbrook, Harlan ; Salamandra agilis, Sager ; 

 Plethedon cinereum, Tschudi; Amblystoma erythrono- 

 tum, Gray ; Saurophis, Fitzinger ; Spelerpes erythrono- 

 tus, Kennicott. 



Color upon the sides cinereous; dorsal strife extend- 

 ing from the occiput to the extremity of the tail of deef 

 or light red\ head brown above ; lower jaw and gular 

 region whitish ; ventral part of the body light, but not 

 as much so as the throat and chin ; sides in alcohol some- 

 times reddish brown, and dorsal stripe cream-colored; 

 eyes large, black; head somewhat depressed, scarcely 

 separable from the body; canthus rostralis none; costal 

 grooves sixteen to nineteen ; caudal furrows about twen- 

 ty; cervical fold indistinct, its place represented by a 

 white line ; nostrils laterally situated. 

 Length 3^ inches. Head to cervical fold 9-16 inch. 

 Tail itf " Width of head 7-32 " 



Habitat Northern Michigan, Kentucky, South Caro- 

 lina, Massachusetts and Nova Scotia. Very common. 



Haldeman (38) states that while Herpetologists have 

 supposed that P. erythronotus and cinereus are different 

 sexes of the same species from their having been so oft- 

 en found associated together, yet he as a result of care- 



