98 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [ 3 d Ser„ 



quickness for these animals, grapples them, apparently as 

 it happens; sometimes from above, sometimes from below, 

 sometimes from the side, sometimes fore, sometimes aft. 

 He frequently clings with great pertinacity and the three go 

 writhing and squirming through the water, so wound about 

 one another that it is often impossible to tell which male is 

 in original possession and which one is the assaulter. Oc- 

 casionally a fourth male joins in, and the tangled, confused, 

 rolling and tumbling mass is strongly suggestive of the 

 characteristic sights in a game of football. 



After the struggle has gone on for sometime, it not in- 

 frequently happens that all at once one of the contending 

 males, as though seized by a sudden reversion of purpose, 

 turns abruptly from the conflict and swims away as fast as 

 he can go. I think it is usually the attacking male that does 

 this, since when once the rightful spouse gets fully estab- 

 lished he clings so tightly and securely by his fore limbs 

 around the body of the female that it is a matter of con- 

 siderable difficulty to dislodge him. 



2. Egg-laying and Eggs. — The time at which esfgr- 

 laying begins varies somewhat from year to year, it being to 

 some extent controlled by the character of the season. 



The first eggs seen during the present spring (1896) were 

 found on February 17, in the reservoir already mentioned 

 several times. These had obviously been laid some days 

 before, since by an accident they had been killed, and the 

 bunches were in an advanced state of decomposition. This 

 date marks, however, very nearly the beginning of the period 

 for this year in this locality, since a pretty close lookout had 

 been kept up for them throughout the winter. The present 

 season has been well calculated to urge all animate nature 

 into unusually early activity; and the " water dog " has not 

 failed to respond with the rest. Although I have no definite 

 notes on the point, I am still quite certain that in ordinary 

 winters the eggs are not found before March. 



Egg-laying once begun is carried on with considerable 

 rapidity, and is practically concluded in about two months. 

 The eggs are always contained in the transparent gelatinous 



