TRITON RUSCONII. 267 



pressed ; eyes small, not prominent, contained twice in the 

 space between them and the tip of the snout ; tongue wide, 

 filling the whole mouth, closely adherent in front ; a shallow 

 furrow runs down the back ; no dorsal crest ; tail longer 

 than the body, rounded at its base, then compressed, with 

 sharp edges above and below ; the fore-feet do not reach 

 to the tip of the snout ; their inner and outer toes are the 

 shortest, the third a little longer than the second ; the 

 hind-feet, placed along the body, reach half-way along the 

 sides ; their thumb is the shortest toe, the centre one the 

 longest, the others about equal, all rounded, short, and 

 quite free. In both sexes the anal region is much swollen 

 and enlarged into a conical projection, thinner in the male 

 than in the female. Upper parts dark olive, often in- 

 clining to dusky or black, with indistinct rusty spots ; 

 beneath reddish ash, with black spots, sometimes confluent, 

 sometimes few in number and widely separated. The 

 female is rather larger than the male, and may be recog- 

 nized by an enlargement or fold at the back of the hind- 

 leg, near the foot, forming a projecting heel. 



Entire length, 5 or 6 inches. 



Peculiar to hilly districts, in the neighbourhood of stag- 

 nant water, in which it lives during the summer. 



Is not uncommon in Sardinia and Corsica, especially in 

 the latter. In Sardinia it is more abundant in the north 

 than in the south of the island. Has been found, though 

 rarely, in the Pyrenees and in Spain. 



Family SIRENIDjE. 



Gills permanent, continuing during the whole of the 

 life of the animal ; lungs acquired in addition when adult ; 

 legs feebly developed, sometimes only one pair present ; 



body very much elongated. 



k2 



