AMPHIBIA 



1. Notophthalmus meridionalis (Cope) Southern Newt 



Diemyctylus miniatus subsp. meridionalis Cope, 

 Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 17, 1880, p. 30. 



This is the socalled "water lizard". It is a small aquatic 

 salamander with a total length of from 75 to 85 millimeters of 

 which the head and body take up a trifle over one-half. The 

 ground color of the uppersurf aces vary from olive to dull brown ; 

 the under surfaces are buff or yellow, marked with numerous 

 small black spots. It differs from the eastern newt (N. viri- 

 descens) in having black instead of red spots in the dorsal re- 

 gion. This newt breeds in March and April. Some years ago, 

 I had the opportunity of studying its breeding habits at Laguna 

 Lake, Falls County, and observations made there indicate that 

 these do not materially differ from those of the American Newt 

 as described by Baird. Single eggs were found folded in im- 

 mersed leaves in the smaller sloughs and the larvae were seined 

 in small arms of these sloughs. These larval specimens were 

 indistinguishable from those of viridescens from Raleigh, North 

 Carolina. 



Some years ago, Mr. C. S. Brimley sent me a specimen of 

 this species which one of his correspondents had collected at 

 San Antonio. Mr. Marnock obtained quite -a number in the 

 neighborhood of Helotes. It is probably more or less common 

 in suitable localities throughout the county. 



2. Ambystomamicrostomum Cope. Small-mouthedSalamander 



Ambystoma microstomum Cope, Proc Acad. Nat. Sci. 



Phila. 1861, p. 123. 

 This fine salamander sometimes attains a length of six 

 inches or more. The tail is less than half the total length — 

 about two-thirds the head and body. In build it is a more 

 slender animal than the tiger salamander and its general make- 

 up suggests Ambystoma texanum Matthes. From texanum, 

 however, it differs in the absence of the yellow spots on the 

 sides and in having dark undersurf aces. ' ' The color in alcohol 

 is a dark brownish black, a very little paler beneath, and thickly 

 and irregularly sprinkled on the sides with plumbeous spots 

 about the size of the eye, of no definite outline. These are less 

 numerous above and below, sometimes nearly wanting ; sometimes 

 they are larger than as described, and look not unlike patches 



