SIZE OF THE BRITISH NEWTS. 145 



that coast. Thus, on the map of New France, drawn by Jacomo 

 di Gastaldi about the year 1550 for the third volume of Ramusio, 

 we find Newfoundland divided into a number of islands, upon 

 which are shown large birds and bears, while on the intersecting 

 water-ways are more birds, and in the adjacent seas are repre- 

 sented various fishes and cetaceans— to say nothing of several 

 curious little devils upon the imaginary " Island of Demonios." 

 In several places, natives are represented shooting at the birds 

 with bows and arrows as they rest upon the land near the sea- 

 shore, which may be taken to indicate that the birds intended to 

 be represented were large and tame, and were, therefore, very 

 likely Great Auks, notwithstanding the fact that some, at least, 

 of them are represented with wings; for a non-observant seaman, 

 or his draughtsman, might, under the circumstances, think it most 

 proper, when drawing birds, to draw them with wings, whether 

 the particular species possessed them or not. 



It may be also worth while to mention that the name Fugla- 

 skeir, or Fowl Skerries, on the south-west coast of Iceland, which 

 is commonly supposed to have arisen in consequence of the large 

 number of Great Auks inhabiting the rocks in question, is very 

 ancient ; for the name appears in the form of "Flogascer " (Fogla- 

 sker) on the celebrated Zeno map, which was drawn within a few 

 years of the close of the fourteenth century, though not published 

 until 1558. 



ON THE SIZE OF THE BKITISH NEWTS. 



By G. A. Boulenger. 



This is an enquiry which has hitherto been somewhat 

 neglected. We know, of course, that the Crested Newt, Molge 

 cristata, is the largest ; that next comes the Common Newt, 

 M. vulgaris ; and last, the Palmated, M. palmata ; but few accu- 

 rate measurements have yet been published of the maximum 

 length to which each species is believed to grow in this country. 

 I have for some time been endeavouring to collect the finest 

 specimens procurable for the British Museum, and have kept 

 note of their dimensions, as well as of the length of the largest 

 continental specimens mentioned in the literature or preserved 

 in the Museum. Curiously, within the last twelve months I have 



