98 FBESH-WATEE AQUARIA. 



Tritons are very interesting and suitable animals for the 

 aquarium. They are handsome, intelligent, easily tamed, and 

 their presence in the tank adds very much to its attractiveness. 

 Their colours are pleasing and variable, and their movements 

 when swimming are very graceful: indeed, as much so as 

 those of fish. As the animals go in and out among the weeds 

 or climb the rookwork, or fight with one another over some 

 portion of food, one is reminded, by a slight stretch of 

 imagination, of alligators, or even of the "fabled dragons." 



There are four species of tritons in Britain, viz. ; 



(1) The Great Water Newt (Triton erisiaius). 



(2) The Common Smooth Newt (Triton punctatus or Lisso- 

 triton punctatus). 



(3) The Straight-lipped Water Newt (Triton Bibronii). 



(4) The Palmated Smooth Newt (Triton palmipes).. 



The two former are common almost everywhere, while the 

 two latter are rare. 



The Great Newt is the best adapted of them all for a life 

 in the aquariiun, as it is a lover of water and does not 

 often venture upon land. The males of all the tritons are 

 distinguished during the spring and early summer by large 

 crests which run along their backs and tails. The crest of the 

 Great Newt (Triton cristatus) (Fig. 80) is serrated, and is 



Fig. 80. Male Great Newt (Tkiton cristatus). 



divided at the junction of the tail and body, while that of 

 the Smooth Water Newt (Triton punctatus) is wavy at the 

 edge and continuous throughout. The females of both are 

 crestless. These crests, being absorbed, disappear during the 



