THE AMERICAN NATURALIST [Vol. XLI 



conditions were believed to be natural. At twilight the salamanders 

 come out from the mossy logs, and the male having found a mate 

 crawls under her body, working his way forward. His front legs are 

 swung around those of the female and he strokes the under side of 

 her head with his nose. After a time a spermatophore is deposited 

 on the moss. It is a pyramidal structure 8-10 mm. high and 4-6 

 mm. wide, sharply pointed with the apex upward. After its deposi- 

 tion the male swings his body 90 degrees to one side, but retains his 

 grasp, and his head remains beneath that of the female. The cloaca 

 of the female is thus brought over the spermatophore which is taken 

 up before the pair se{)arates. Mating occurs from July to September 



The eggs are fertilized and in the following spring or early summer 

 the young arc laid. A new set of eggs is then mature and ready for 

 fertilization. 



F. T. L. 



Stone-gathering Fishes. — In the Amcnrtni Xaturalitt ior May 

 (pages .:;_>;3 327 of the current volume), Dr. AUred W.G. \Mlson has 

 given important information and excellent illustrations of so-called 

 "Chubs' Nest Although, as stated in a foot-note, no account of 

 these nests is included in my article on "Parental care among fresh 

 water fishes," it is recorded (p. 436) that several American c\'[)niii(ls 

 "also take care of their eggs, especially the lb)nic<l Dace [SriHof/liis 

 atromaculatus), the Black-headed DaJe (Pnm p/m/, ^ ,nn,n,ln.), .,n.l 

 the Stone-roller (Cam/>o.s'tow,a anomalum.)." 1 did not giw aii\- tiir- 



isfactory, and Professor Jacob Jleighard had informed me that he 

 would soon publish an account of the habits of these fishes. 



The evidence as to the exact species that heaps the stones in question 

 needs confirmation. Dr. C. C. Abbott, in "A naturalist's rambles 

 about home" (1S84, p. 408) po iti\e]y declares that Semoiilus cor-pornlis 

 (called by him bullarvs) "ditt'ers materially from the birds and even 



spring. Once the eggs are laid upon their bed of sand, all care as to 

 their future vanishes"; he says nothing about the oviposition of 

 Scmolilm afwmarulatu.s noticed on page 409 and called by him S. 



