THE LIFE -HISTORY AND HABITS OF THE 



PACIFIC COAST NEWT (DIEMYCTYLUS 



TOROSUS Esch.). 



BY WILLIAM E. RITTER, PH. D., 



Assistant Professor of Biology, University of California. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Plate III. 



I. — Historical. 



II.— The Adult. 



General Statement 76 



1. Habits 77 



(a) Respiration ' 79 



(b) Slotighing 83 



(c) Food 83 



(d) Movements S4 



2. Seasonal Changes 85 



3. Sexual Differences 92 



III.— Breeding. 



1. Mating and Fertilization 93 



2. Egg-Laying and Eggs 98 



IV.— The Larva. 



1. General Description : 103 



2. Food and Feeding 105 



3. Movements 106 



V. — The Metamorphosis. 



Bibliography 112 



Explanation of the Figures 114 



I.— Historical. 



During the last seventy years a number of zoologists have 

 made observations upon and written about the amphibian 

 to which the following pages are devoted. 



It was first described by Eschscholtz ('33) under the name 

 of Triton torosus. The author's introductory statement is 

 as follows 1 : " Es hat dies Thier Hinsichts der Grosse, der 

 allgemeinen Korperform, der Farbe und der Beschaffenheit 

 der Hautdecken eine grosse Aenlichkeit mit Triton cris- 

 tatus;" and he then proceeds to give a quite detailed com- 



1 1 have not had access to a copy of Eschscholtz's Atlas, and am greatly indebted to 

 my friend, Dr. T. S. Palmer, National Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C, for 

 a complete transcription for me of the part relating to this animal. 

 Proc. Cal. Acad Sci., 3D Ser., Zool., Vol, I. January 15, 1897. 



f73] 



