68 STRANGE TALES. 



jar. The general surface of the skin came off in 

 flakes, but that from the paws was drawn off like 

 gloves, retaining on their surface all the markings 

 and creases which they exhibited when in their 

 proper place. 



How the drawing off of their tiny gloves was 

 effected I could not see, though I watched carefully. 

 They looked beautiful as they floated in the water, 

 being delicate as gossamer, white, and almost trans- 

 parent. They might have been made for Queen Mab 

 herself, and were so delicate that I never could pre- 

 serve any of them so as to give a proper idea of their 

 form. 



It may be that the change of water might cause 

 the change of skin, for the water in which they were 

 kept was drawn from a pump, and that in which 

 they formerly lived was the ordinary soft water found 

 in ponds. 



Pretty as is the newt, it is as harmless as pretty, 

 and notwithstanding has suffered under the reputa- 

 tion of being a venomous creature. The absurd tales 

 that I have heard of this creature could scarcely be 

 believed ; and how people with any share of sense 

 could receive such absurdities is matter of wonder. 

 And as usual, the moral of the stories is, that newts 

 are to be killed wherever found. The belief of the 

 poisonous character of the newt is of long standing, 

 as may be seen in the ancient works on natural 

 history. In one of these it is said that its poison is 



