The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-01-10

Iish ponds and bitches, from which,
however, it differs greatly in habit,
being entirely aquatic. The gills are
absorbed when the animal becomes
mature, and the gill slits close up,
though in nearly related American
form these slits persist throughout life.
p" It will be seen from the illustration,
which represents the anifnaffrom two
points of view, that the giant salaman-
der is not handsome indeed, any of
our. British nevis is very fairy prince
by comparison. tits decidedly 'tplain,"
not to say ugly, and perhaps the only
creature that can give it points and
beat it easily in the matter of i'll looks
is the Heloderm, or Gila monster, q
poisonous Mexican lizard. The giant
salamander is about yard long; the
head is somewhat triangular, but
broadly rounded in front, with tiny,
lack-lustre eyes; the iron-brown skin
is spotted with black and thickly
covered with small tubercles; the tail
is compressed from side to side, and
the only relief in the dull scheme of
color is formed by the pearly-white
tips of the digits, of which there are
four on the front and five on the him
der limbs.
This animal lives in large tank on
the right, just as one enters the rep
tile house in the Geological Gardens.
On the top of the water is thick
floating layer of crystal worts, which
shuts out the entrance of light from
above, though it fulflls the useful
purpose of aersting the water and
keeping it in good condition by alb
sorbing the carbon dioxide given off
by the animal in breathing. At the
bottom, and generally right at the
back is it's favorite position. It does
not court observation; indeed, the
pebbles on the floor of the tank are 80
often heaped up into kind of ridge
against the glass in front, while the
salamander lies, SO to speak, under
their lee, motionless and almost out of
sight, that it would seem as if it re-
sented intrusion on it's privacy.
Feeding time in the reptile house
presents by no means the lively scene
that it does in the lion house or the
bears cages. No barrow is wheeled
down the line of dens, and very few of
the creatures show any signs of ex-
citement. Some of the larger lizards
may raise themselves on their hind
legs, and, untaught by experience, fu-
tilely strive to climb up the glass
which keeps them prisoners. The
other inmates of the house are as quiet
as ever. The salamander at the back
of his tank is not reused by the keepers
football, but no sooner is a space
cleared in the floating mass of vegeta.
tion and frog or small fish dropped
into thewster than amarvelous change
takes place in the salamander. 1t is
no longer dull, sluggish and loglike.
but is reused to display of activity
one would never expect from it's clumsy
build and lethargic habit. This lasts
for moment only, and then it sub
sides into its. accustomed motionless
condition. But, almost before the
prey can reach the bottom, one sweep
of the powerful tail brings the sala-
mander close to it, there is snap of
the heavy jaws, and the frog or fish
disappears. Occasionally - for the
creature is old and sightless-a bright
stream of ascending air bubbles shows
that the prey has escaped for mo-
ment. The respite, however, is very
brief; second snap settles the busi-
ness, and the salamander retires to the
back of his tank for an after-dinner
uap.