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THE AMERICAN NATURALIST [Vol. XLIII 



and placed in jars as follows: Jar No. 1, seven males; 

 No. 2, several each of males and females ; No. 3, a male 

 and a female. These specimens had not reached the 

 water, and were carried to the laboratory in a dry bag. 

 The temperature of the water in the jars was 65° F., or 

 fifteen to twenty degrees warmer than that in the ponds. 



The seven males of jar no. 1 showed no excitement and 

 deposited no spermatophores until a day or two later. 

 Then, the total of spermatophores for the whole seven 

 was much less than that deposited by the single male of 

 jar no. 3. 



In jar no. 2 the males and females became excited the 

 moment they were placed together and many spermato- 

 phores were deposited at once. This experiment was 

 repeated the following evening with a different set of 

 salamanders and the males began to deposit spermato- 

 phores within fifteen minutes after being placed with the 

 females. No eggs were deposited earlier than two days 

 after the deposition of the first spermatophores. 



In jar no. 3 the male, at first, showed no signs of ex- 

 citement, but upon coming in contact with the female, 

 he became very restless, and "nosed" her about in a 

 definite manner. It seemed to be the object of the male 

 to bring the top of his head in contact with the venter 

 of the female. The throat region of the female seemed 

 to be preferred, although he often began in the cloacal 

 region or even at the tip of the tail and rubbed the dorso- 

 lateral part of the head along her whole ventral side. 

 After each performance of this kind, the male swam away 

 and grasped one of the sticks with its hind legs, bringing 

 the cloaca close to the stem. The tail quivered for a 

 moment and, with an arching of the region just caudad 

 of the cloaca, the vent was lifted from the spermatophore. 

 Then, he immediately returned to the female and began 

 again the "nosing" process. The time consumed in de- 

 positing a spermatophore varied from 3 to 16 seconds, 

 the periods for thirteen consecutive depositions being: 

 5, 3, 6, 10, 13, 12, 7, 11, 12, 16, 11, 10, 10 seconds, re- 



