AMPHIBIANS. 107 



search up when I caught sight of the tip of the tail of the 

 missing animal just protruding out of the mouth of one of 

 the Axolotls. And as I watched that tip, every moment ex- 

 pecting it to disappear altogether, the Siredon, much to my 

 surprise, suddenly disgorged its captive, which immediately 

 swam about the aquarium, apparently none the worse for 

 its late rather awkward predicament. However, a few hours 

 afterwards I found it dead. An Axolotl will eat almost any 

 amount of frog and toad tadpoles, and I have seen one 

 swallow a young mianow with the greatest possible ease. 

 The fish swam near the reptile, there was a sudden dash on 

 the Axolotl's part, and the fish had disappeared. 



The Siredon, curiously enough, though not the perfect 

 animal, will reproduce its own species even in an aquarium. 

 It affixes its eggs to the water-plants, preferring the Vallis- 

 neria spiralis for this purpose, or to the rockwork, or to the 

 sides of the tank. The young are released from the eggs 

 in fifteen to twenty days, according to the temperature in 

 which they are placed. As soon as the eggs are deposited 

 they should be removed, if possible, to a rather large 

 aquarium which contains plenty of well-established water- 

 weed, especially Vallisneria and Anacharis, and also much 

 small (no large) animal hfe, such as Water-Fleas, Cyclops, 

 and the like. The eggs, under these circumstances, wiU be 

 undisturbed until they are hatched, and the yoimg Axolotls 

 which come from, them will have plenty of proper food until 

 they are old enough to eat tiny garden worms. From the 

 first they are provided, of course, with branchiae, but no 

 feet. In nine or ten days the fore-feet appear, and these 

 are followed some time afterwards by the hind ones. When 

 first hatched the young tadpoles are of a greenish colour, 

 and covered with little dark spots. The length of time 

 which will elapse before the Axolotl becomes the perfect 

 Amblystome depends upon circumstances : sometimes it wUl 

 lose its branchiae and develop into the air-breathing animal 

 within twelve months, and sometimes it will remain an 

 Axolotl for three or four years. The perfect Amblystome 

 will also reproduce by laying, eggs. 



