HERPETOLOGY OP THE GRAND DUCHY OF BADEN. 217 



On the Kaiserstuhl, it is found near the "Badloch," inhabiting 

 the tepid water which issues from the small excavation there. 



In the Palatinate it is as generally distributed as in Baden. 



With respect to coloration, I have only noted one male, from 

 Karlsruhe, as peculiar in possessing two perfectly symmetrical 

 rows of spots on the lower surfaces, instead of the irregular black 

 blotches. The five converging stripes on the head show an 

 interesting tendency to unite, recede towards the parotides and 

 form an almost vertical pattern. This manner of development 

 has many analogies in the animal kingdom, to which I hope 

 to recur elsewhere at more length. The young, generally to be 

 found under stones and such like, display a great variety of 

 fundamental tints, from light brick-red to the darkest brown. 



The proportion of the sexes seems less equal than with 

 T. alpestris ; at least, one often sees several males of this newt 

 courting one female, whereas alpestris is, as a rule, to be found 

 in pairs. 



4. T. alpestris, Laur. — It will have struck anyone who has 

 examined the fauna of Karlsruhe during the last few years that 

 this newt has become more common, while tceniatus has pro- 

 portionately decreased. 



It is interesting to observe this tendency towards mutual 

 exclusion, but we are generally at a loss to conjecture in what 

 the advantages may consist which decide the day ; for to attribute 

 the ultimate victory of one of the contending parties to " greater 

 flexibility of constitution, &c," is doubtless true of most cases, 

 though it contains little more than a re -statement of the fact. 

 The context waxes hottest between those whom a physical 

 similarity — relationship, in most cases — involves in the only too 

 natural warfare ; whether they be genera and genera, species 

 and species,* or the variety and individuals of one species 

 respectively. Whatever may be the cause of the displacement 



* To the large list of analogous observations among birds I may be 

 permitted to add two more examples. Within recent years, Phylloscopus 

 trochilus, at one time very abundant near Karlsruhe, has been completely 

 replaced by P. sibilatrix, so that these two now occur in exactly inverse 

 proportions. Similarly, Parus cceruleus is increasing rapidly, whereas 

 P. cristatus becomes rarer every day. In explaining the last case, no doubt 

 the more enterprising disposition of cceruleus — witness the social success of 

 the Sparrow — must be taken into account, 



ZOOLOGIST. — JUNE, 1892. S 



