Io8 OHIO STATE ACADEMY OP SCIENCE. 



regions. Wilcox (91) mentions^ one showing little or no dorsal 

 groove. They are almost the last of the salamanders to go into 

 winter quarters and appear early in the spring when, soon after 

 emerging, they begin to breed. 



This species is not common in the State. 



Specimehs in the U. S. Nat. Mus. , recorded by Cope from Lancaster and 

 Ripley. In Cin. See. Nat. His., collected by Rev. Mark, in Hamilton Co.; 

 in O. S. U. Mus., from Portsmouth and Sugar Grove. 



Amblystoma punctatum I,inn. Larger than preceding. Body dark 

 brown or black, with a series of large circular yellow spots over the body, 

 head and tail ; on the tail the spots are sometimes confluent. Below and a 

 short distance up on the sides are smaller spots that give a pepper-and-salt 

 appearance. Legs also spotted above as the dorsal part of the body. Costal 

 grooves sometimes 10, generally 11. Length 6^ inches. 



This species resembles somewhat in size and general features 

 the species tigrinum, but in tigrinum the spots are not circular as 

 'va. punctatum, but are elongated and often fuse into one another. 

 Moreover, tigrinum has twelve costal furrows. Its habits are 

 similar to those of tigrinum, both being more terrestrial than 

 many of the other salamanders, being found uiider rotten wood 

 away from water, in cellars, etc. The eggs are laid in masses in 

 ponds and ditches. 



In the State they are found in small numbers, but they are 

 generally distributed. Eastward they replace tigrinum. 



Specimens in the U. S. Nat. Mus., recorded by Cope from Cleveland. 

 In Oberlin College, collected by Lynds Jones in Lorain Co.; in O. S. U. 

 Mus., collected by J. C. Bridwell and E. V. Wilcox at Columbus; also 

 reported from Sugar Grove. 



Amblystoma tigrinum Green. Above, body yellowish brown to black, 

 with irregular blotches and spots of yellow, sometimes almost forming trans- 

 verse bands. Below, lighter with few spots. Form large, sometimes the 

 spots are inconspicuous. Costal grooves 12. Tail long, compressed. Larg- 

 est and heaviest of the salamanders, save the first two, Nedurus and Crypto- 

 branchus. Length 10 inches or under. 



The larva of this species is the axolotl of the West, where, 

 over the plains, the pools abound in the spring with the youngi 

 Ivater as summer sets in they undergo metamorphosis and begin 

 a terrestrial existence. The gills are lost and the length increases 

 nearly one-half. Breeding takes place about the first of April. 

 The eggs are laid in pools and are attached to water-plants. The 



