TEXAN HERPETOLOGY 19 



astrous floods which covered nearly the entire surface of East Waco with 

 water and for a period of ninety days the marsh district reminded one of the 

 days of "Auld Lang Syne." Nearly all of the water composing the newly- 

 formed marsh was backed up from the Brazos River and after the flood waters 

 had largely subsided, river turtles were left stranded in large numbers. 



In former years a mud turtle {Cinosternum louisianae Baur) was the sole 

 Chelonian inhabitant of the old marsh but the new one was filled with numer- 

 ous examples of Chrysemys texana Baur. These turtles were evidently dis- 

 satisfied with their quarters, on account of the muddiness of the water, and 

 early displayed a disposition to migrate. One morning I found eighteen dead 

 specimens that had been crushed by passing trains. I must confess that the 

 sight of these mangled specimens made me heartsick, as I had always considered 

 this Chrysemys an uncommon species with us. 



Living examples of Cinosternum louisianae and C. flavescens Agass were 

 captured in the ditches alongside the railroad track. The turtles of this 

 genus, however, show a preference for muddy water, and, unlike the Chrysemys, 

 had made themselves very much at home. 



NOTES ON BREEDING HABITS AND LARVAE. 



On the 5 th of April, while dipnetting for crayfish along the edges of the 

 marsh and the ditches running into it, I accidentally discovered some salaman- 

 der eggs attached to an overhanging weed cluster. These eggs resembled those 

 of the small-mouthed salamander {Ambystoma microstomum) but I was satis- 

 fied that they were not those of that species, which is an unusually early 

 breeder, good-sized larvae often being found as early as the first of February, 

 long before the earliest breeding Hylidae go into the water. The large weed 

 cluster to which the eggs were attached was one that had been growing along 

 the edge of the bank and had been stepped upon and broken and was lying 

 along the surface of the water for nearly half its length. The eggs were in 

 seven clusters containing 8, 7, 6, 6, 5, 4 and 4 eggs, respectively, and the 

 gelatin mass was already swollen from contact with the water. They averaged 

 about one-twelfth of an inch in diameter and contained very tiny but well 

 developed, blackish embryos. I judged that they had been deposited some 

 three or four days previously. Attached to some weed stalks about six feet 

 away was an enormous cluster of the eggs of the leopard frog, (Rana pipiens 

 Kalm.) nearly four inches in diameter. 



On the 1st of May, several young larvae about 13 mm. in length, flabby, 

 tender and with filamentous gills were seined in a fine meshed net, near the 

 place where the eggs were discovered. These specimens were light olive in 

 color, but unlike the larvae of A. microstomum,, were without blotches along 

 the back. 



Later in the month (about the 20th I should say) I used my net in the 

 shallow pools alongside the railroad track and was rewarded by the capture of 

 nearly a dozen larval salamanders each about 45 mm. in total length. These 

 specimens were light olive above with a light dorsal and two light lateral 



