OCR Text |
Show 1895.] DE. J. DE BEDBIAGA ON THE PYEENEAN NEWT. 151 elongate, slightly narrowed, rounded, blunt or distinctly truncate, projecting beyond the mouth. Canthus rostralis more or less distinct. Eyes lateral, moderately large, prominent on the upper surh ce of the head, which is flattened ; the distance between them is rather less than between the nostrils and distinctly less than the distance from the latter to the eyes. The diameter of the eye, or rather the distance between anterior and posterior corner of the eye, is less than that between the eye and the nostril. The upper eyelid is narrower than the interpalpebral space. Nostrils rather large, close to the border of the snout, lateral, pierced just below the canthus rostralis, and therefore rather distant from the lip, though nearer to it than the eyes. Labial lobes well developed during the breeding-season, especially in males. Cleft of the mouth extending beyond the posterior corner of the eye. Tongue small, elliptical, slightly free along the sides. Palatine teeth in two slightly curved series, commencing on a line with the choanae and in contact anteriorly, diverging gradually backwards and forming almost a ^-shaped figure. Gular fold distinct. No parotoids. Body stout, rounded or depressed (var. rugosa), longer in females than in males ; no dorsal crest; longitudinal dorsal groove present or absent. Limbs moderate, clumsy; hind limbs stronger in the male, with a hardly visible fibulo-tarsal dilatation, when carried forwards along the body reaching to the middle of the space between hind and fore limbs or extending a little beyond; in females the hind limbs are always shorter than the above-mentioned length. Fore limbs, when brought forwards, reaching the anterior corner of the eye or slightly beyond, the latter being especially the case in females. Fingers and toes free, depressed and rather short: the fingers are somewhat longer and thinner in the female. Anal lips forming in the male a nearly semiglobulous prominence like that of M. cristata, but with a longitudinal cleft not extending so far anteriorly, but occupying only the posterior half of the anal prominence. After the breeding-season the anal prominence sometimes assumes, especially in specimens from the Lac de Gaube, the shape of an obtuse cone. In females the anal prominence is pear-shaped or conical, with a short longitudinal cleft turned quite backwards ; this cleft does not extend over the lower surface of the anal prominence. During the pairing and oviposition the summit of the cone is slightly directed downwards, but never to that extent which is the case in specimens preserved in alcohol; this cone has in living specimens never the length which it acquires as soon as the newt is put into spirit of wine. Tail thick and rounded at the base, then becoming gradually compressed, ending in a more or less obtuse point, sharp-edged or keeled above in its posterior part: beneath, a more or less sharp edge is seen sometimes only at the very end of the tail. The tail is low and as long as head and body or ionger in the female ; higher, thicker, and shorter than head and body in the male. In the former the length of the hind limb is generally contained thrice in |