1925] St over: A Synopsis of the Amphibia of California 57 
Larval newts collected in Strawberry Canon, Berkeley, on August 
26, 1899, by Dr. L. H. Miller were offered mosquito larvae. The larger 
individuals (25 mm.) fed voraciously, swallowing the ‘wrigglers’ head 
first with a lateral tossing of the (salamander’s) head. The insect 
larvae were too large to be completely swallowed and some of the 
caudal spines protruded from the mouths of the salamanders. Three 
days later a salamander larva was seen to seize one of its mates of 
only slightly smaller size and endeavor to swallow the latter tail first. 
On another occasion the larvae were fed on chopped pieces of angle- 
worms which were swallowed with considerable effort; the gorged 
larvae then moved about very lazily (L. H. Miller, MS). 
The size at metamorphosis is small as compared with that of the 
Ambystomid salamanders. Ritter (1897, pp. 76-77) gives the average 
length of 9 individuals just metamorphosed as 48 millimeters, and says 
that the largest he had seen was 60 millimeters in total length. The 
present writer has had captive individuals as short as 32 millimeters 
transform, but the transfer from an outdoor pond to a small aquarium 
may have hastened the metamorphosis at small size. One over- 
wintered larva from near Sierra Madre is 63 millimeters long. 
Following metamorphosis torosus is strictly terrestrial. Ritter 
(1897, pp. 77-78) says that it is absolutely essential that the animals 
get out of the water at the time of transformation, otherwise they 
drown. The post-larval growth to sexual maturity occupies at least 
two years, judging from the size (age) groups at hand. 
The following series of specimens indicates the growth of torosus 
after leaving the water : 
M. V. Z. 
No. 
Locality 
Date 
Total length 
in millimeters 
7280 
Berkeley, Alameda Co 
Dec. 11, 1919 
45.0 
7365 
North Fork, Madera Co., 3000 ft 
Mar. 8, 1920 
46.5 
613 
Near Sierra Madre, Los Angeles Co 
Mar. 24, 1909 
52.0 
5013 
Freestone, Sonoma Co 
June 12, 1913 
52.5 
6334 
Muir Canon [Woods], Marin Co 
Sept. 30, 1917 
74.0 
7628 
Lake Leonard, 10 mi. nw. of Ukiah, Mendo- 
cino Co 
Oct. 11, 1920 
73.0 
2402 
Muir Woods, Marin Co 
Mar. 5, 1910 
78.0 
4976 
Freestone, Sonoma Co 
June 12, 1913 
79.0 
4991 
7 mi. w. of Cazadero, Sonoma Co 
June 20, 1913 
83.0 
The smallest breeding individuals measure somewhat more than 
100 millimeters in total length. But growth continues for some time 
after this stage has been reached, as there are two individuals at hand 
which after preservation measure 225 millimeters in total length. 
