644 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [Vor. XXXVI. 
in her cloaca the spermatophore which he emits. This method 
of mating is very commonly described among salamanders, 
but variations occur; for instance, in Salamandra maculosa, 
and in Salamandra atra, Siebold (58), Pfitzner (80), and others 
describe the male perched upon the female's back; he clasps 
her for a period before spermatophores are voided. In these 
cases the male is usually perched upon the center of the 
female's back. In JMegapterma montana and several others 
Bedriaga (82) says the male grasps the female and emits 
spermatophores while still clasping her. 
Ritter (99) in D. torosus described, so far as he was able, 
a method of fertilization similar to that given by Bedriaga in 
several species; that is, the male emits spermatozoa while 
clasping the female. The mating of D. viridescens has been 
carefully described by Zeller (90), Gage (91), and Jordan (91), 
and, so far as the final result is concerned, the process may be 
said to be similar to that described by Zeller and others for 
many forms of Salamandridz, but in several particulars the 
mating habits are peculiar and deserve further attention. 
As breeding season approaches with Diemyctylus, a crest 
appears upon the already broad tail of the male, and the cloacal 
regions of both male and female enlarge. It is stated by some 
that during this time the colors of the male become brighter; 
but this is probably exaggerated, as there is but little difference 
in the color of the male and female at this time, except possibly 
one or the other may have recently passed the red land stage 
and not yet attained the deeper color of the more mature 
individuals, or it may have just shed its skin. With Diemyc 
tylus there is much less difference in the sexes than is found 
in many European Urodela, yet there are several striking dif- 
ferences, most of which have been noted. The female differs 
from the male at all seasons of the year by having more slender 
hind legs, and during breeding season there are on the under- 
sides of the male's hind legs black, wartlike, horny elevations, 
probably developed to aid the male in clasping the female. 
These have often been described, but as this method of clasp- 
ing the female is rare with European species, the occurrence of 
these organs is seldom mentioned with them. 

