146 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



succeeded in adding to the collection specimens of all three 

 species, which, with the exception of the male M. palmata, are 

 larger than any on record, whether British or continental. I would 

 request the readers whom this note may interest to endeavour to 

 ascertain whether any specimens can be found exceeding the 

 dimensions indicated below. 



1. Molge cristata. 



De l'lsle (Ann. Sc. Nat. xvii. 1862, p. 366) for France, and 

 Fatio (Vert. Suisse, iii. p. 530) for Switzerland, give the following 

 dimensions of the largest specimens measured by them : — 



Males. Females. 



Nantes. Basle. Nantes. Geneva. 



Total length millim. 141 137 150 148 



Length to cloaca ... „ — 70 — 71 



Schreiber (Herpet. Eur. p. 48), without specifying locality or 

 sex, says the species grows to 160 millim.; and Bell (Brit. Rept.) 

 gives 6 inches (152 millim.) as the maximum length. 



The largest specimens I had examined until quite lately were 

 sent to me from Argenton (Indre), France, by M. R. Paratre, and 



measured : — 



Male. Female. 



Total length millim. 142 157 



Length to cloaca ... „ 72 76 



In the second week in February, of the present year, Mr. 

 Edward Dodson found in some puddles at Hampton, Middlesex, 

 numerous specimens in full breeding costume, some of which he 

 kindly brought me for the Museum collection. I visited the place 

 with him three weeks later, and, with the aid of a small net, we 

 succeeded in capturing 66 specimens in half an hour. Among 

 these some even exceeded, if but slightly, my French specimens, 

 and are, so far as I am aware, the largest on record : — 





Male. 



Female. 



Total length ... . 



.. millim. 144 



162 



Length to cloaca 



77 



87 



2. Molge vulgaris. 



The length of the largest specimens (from Basle) is given by 

 Fatio as: — 



