44 



THE NATURALIST. 



are of the most elegant and graceful kind. He is the very beau-ideal of a 

 gallant lover, as lie throws himself before her, to attract her attention, and 

 goes through the most complex evolutions to win her regards. At such times 

 h6 will throw his tail into the form of the head of , the Bishop's crook and 

 give it a kind of undulating motion, the apparent wave travelling from the 

 root to the tip. This is done with great rapidity, and forms a very pleasing 

 sight. In the aquarium newts are a continual source of amusement and 

 instruction. 



Their principal food consists of worms and tadpoles, though fish not 

 unfrequently fall victims to their rapacity. Instances of this kind have 

 occurred more than once under my own eyes ; one case greatly amused me. 

 One day as I sat watching the warty newt (a specimen near seven inches 

 long, now in good spirits) ; I saw him seize a well-grown stickle-back by the 

 caudal extremity, and commence swallowing him with the utmost non- 

 chalence, The operation went on swimmingly and his speedy dispatch seemed 

 certain. The work, however when about half completed came to a dead 

 stand — On looking more closely to ascertain the cause of this unusual pause, 

 I saw the ventral spines stiffly erected and pressed close to the lips of the 

 newt. All endeavours to get the lips over them were futile. After strug- 

 gling thus hopelessly for a full quarter of an hour ; he rapidly disgorged it, 

 and examined it attentively for some minutes ; then, as if suddenly struck 

 with a bright idea, he seized the fish once more, but this time hy the head, 

 and began the swallowing a second time, and soon completed it without 

 further trouble, for on reaching the spines they were now easily pressed down 

 and thus the difficulty vanished. Was the difficulty overcome by chance, or 

 had he, as it seemed to me he had, really diidied the problem, and found out 

 the proper solution % 



A few words on the manner in which food is swallowed by these and 

 other Batrachia may not be out of place. The food of these animals does 

 not undergo any mastication in the mouth ; but is swallowed entire and 

 alive. The whole process of mastication and assimilation is carried on 

 within the stomach and intestines. In the adult state they all seem to prefer 

 living prey ; indeed, as a general rule they will not touch anything that does 

 not by its motions betray signs of life. They appear to be little guided by 

 the sense of smell ; for although they may often be seen hunting the bottoms 

 of ponds, or the aquarium, yet on coming in contact with a worm or other 

 soft body, they will push it about with the nose ; evidently with the 

 intention not of smellin'i what it is, but of seeing whether this disturbance 

 produces motion. If no movement takes place they will almost invariably 



