USELESS HABITS IN TWO BRITISH NEWTS. 217 



about so as to imitate the motions of the worm, the attention of 

 the Newts was immediately called to it. A large female accepted 

 the dummy and the real worm in the following order : — Dummy, 

 worm, dummy, worm, dummy, worm, dummy, dummy, worm, 

 after which it refused dummy. The next day it went : dummy, 

 worm, after which dummy was refused. After it had been 

 offered dummy four more times it grew to take no interest in 

 it, its motions not attracting its attention in any way. A 

 real worm was then offered the animal, which it immediately 

 seized with avidity. A dummy was then offered again, and 

 it seized it quickly, but dropped it again, and after, although 

 it went on accepting the worms, it continued to refuse the 

 dummies. 



The dummies were twice as big as the worms. The Newts 

 paused longer before snapping at a dummy than they did before 

 a worm, except in the above case, where it was quickly seized 

 and as quickly dropped. This shows that the Newts are able to 

 distinguish a difference between worms and dummies, but that 

 they are sufficiently deceived by appearances to be induced 

 eventually to snap and swallow. I found the same animals 

 would follow about a piece of bent wire, and one of them even 

 snapped at it, but this animal may have been more than usually 

 hungry. One of my Cresteds, after living in one of my pans for 

 six months, died of starvation, on account of an obstruction of 

 the rectum, which, on dissection, was shown to be caused by a 

 small quantity of earthy matter and seven caddis-worm cases, 

 with remains of their putrefied occupants. The earthy matter 

 was of the same material as the cases, and probably repre- 

 sented at least another caddis-worm case, making eight in 

 all. The rectum was distended to bursting point, and the 

 other organs displaced. The species of caddis-worm was a very 

 common one in the pond when the Newt was taken, at which 

 time it was first observed to be suffering from what I thought 

 was a tumour. 



This is easily explained if we bear in mind the Newt's 

 readiness to snap at moving objects. Palmates are great adepts 

 at snapping at almost microscopic organisms as they rush past. 

 Another Newt, which I tried, drove me to the conclusion that 

 either it was a mental wreck or else had developed a taste for 

 Zool. 4th ser. vol. XIV., June, 1910. s 



