74 REPTILES AND BATRACHIANS. 



instance, — and that you bring water and a plentiful supply from 

 the pond, of whatever is in your net, including even weeds, and 

 turn all into the receptacle ; when in all probability food supplies 

 will come in the form of still smaller aquatic creatures, which must 

 be sacrificed to the needs of the larger ones, as in their native 

 pond. By-and-by very small worms can be found for them, and 

 the larger they become the easier it will be to feed them. The 

 young collector who lives in the country, and has ample accom- 

 modation for a vivarium, cannot do better than to have it entirely 

 filled with water from the pond in which he finds the tadpoles, 

 whether of newts or frogs, and with it the delicate weeds, among 

 which there are likely to be eggs and larva? of other creatures, 

 insects, etc. Weeds are an important addition to the aquarium, 

 as they maintain the purity of the water. Indeed, the balance 

 of animal and vegetable life is essential for the health of both, 

 and there can be no better way of feeding very young Batrachia 

 than to bring a supply of pond weeds. The pretty, graceful 

 Potamogeton adds greatly to the interest of your aquarium too, 

 and the tiny frogs and newts love to climb and rest upon it, thus 

 adding to the picture. 



Intelligence is not lacking in the newts. Almost sooner than 

 the frogs they learned to recognise their keeper, looking up if 

 under the water, or turning their heads when out of it. Hunger 

 was, I fear, the chief prompter of this watchfulness, their fasting 

 being sometimes too rigid, owing to the difficulty of finding 

 worms or what not small enough for the lesser members of the 

 Molge family, and partly because the larger newts would be 

 first to seize upon whatever was offered. As summer approaches 

 they mostly forsake the water, and lead a very inactive life. 

 It is necessary then to reduce the quantity of water in your 

 aquarium, and arrange some fragments of rock, spa, or what not, so 

 that the newts can be on dry land when it suits them. Floating 

 on the water in my glass globe was a broad, flat piece of cork, 

 covered with fine moss and minute vegetation, and upon this my 

 captive newts would rest for hours or even days together. One 

 male, M. cristata, by the beginning of June made frantic efforts to get 

 out of the water ; dashing and leaping against the sides of the 

 glass'; but not for a long while did he get upon this little island 

 of his own accord ; yet when placed there would remain perfectly 

 contented. I have observed them in the same position hour 

 after hour on this floating island, one perhaps lying across another, 

 or in some attitude not to be forgotten, and, 1 have reason to 

 believe, remaining thus the entire day. And very graceful were 

 their attitudes, very pretty they looked upon the little emerald 



