74 PROCEEDINGS : BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 
In Bulletin 34, U. S. nat. mus., 1889, he gives a more extended 
description, and mentions the light line from eye to rictus, and gives 
the costal grooves as thirteen, not counting the one immediately in 
front of the groin. The mandibular teeth of the males, he says, are 
longer than in fasca. Through the kindness of Mr. S. Garman, I 
have been enabled to examine the specimens of Desmognathus in 
the collection of the Museum of comparative zoology, which, 
together with the series in my collection, makes a total of about 90 
specimens from various points from Rangeley, Maine, to Georgia. 
The Intervale specimens agree well with Cope’s description in most 
cases, but the entire series shows that there is a considerable 
variation in the amount and extent of dark mottling underneath and 
on the sides, and that there is no constant color difference between 
fasca and ochrophaea. In the small series from Rangeley, Maine, 
one specimen, a very old individual, is almost black all over, but has 
the belly somewhat mottled with white, and is provided with a 
membranous caudal expansion. In the same lot are other specimens 
agreeing perfectly with the description of ochrophaea. The 
specimens from North Carolina are dark, with the membrane, and 
a specimen from Georgia is light on the belly, but its tail has been 
lost. A series of breeding specimens from Plainfield, N. J., are 
colored as in ochrophaea and have the tail expansion. The series 
from Intervale shows variation from light bellies to heavily mottled, 
but all lack the caudal expansion. In short, an examination of the 
entire series shows that the color variation is entirely individual and 
seems to have no geographic bearing ; that the color differences as 
well as the character of length of teeth have no weight; and that 
the only difference between the two species is the presence or 
absence of a caudal expansion. This character can hardly be looked 
upon as having much weight. Specimens which can easily get out 
upon land after the breeding season, would doubtless, if they 
remained away from the brook, suffer a reduction of the membrane, 
just as the webs in certain of the Anura are reduced after the 
breeding season is over. Others, which from necessity or choice 
remain in the water, would retain the membrane in consequence. 
Specimens of ochrophaea taken in the breeding season would 
doubtless show the membranous expansion, and, indeed, the series 
from Plainfield, N. J., which has the light bellies and coloring as 
Cope describes, shows also the fin-like membrane on the tail. I can 
not find that there is a single good character for ochrophaea. 
