The egg itself is the dark dot in the centre of that gold-besprinkled cradle. At first the inclosing jelly is but a small rim, but it expands immediately, remaining firmly attached to the stem. The little axolotl comes out of the egg perfectly formed, a minute copy of its parent; for we must remember that this parent is never grown-up, but remains always in the incomplete or larval state of its existence. The newly hatched axolotls grow rapidly to six or eight inches in length, and except for the branching gills closely resemble their near cousins, the salamanders. Until 1865 the axolotls had never been closely studied. In Mexico they are abundant, are sold as an article of food in the markets and are eaten, “no questions being asked.” They are to the Mexican buyers, axolotls, and that is enough. When taken to European museums the axolotls were supposed from their imperfect development to be larvæ, which one day would metamorphose into their adult form. For several years the first specimens in Paris remained just as when they had been brought from their native lakes. Then, a change being made in their tank giving them more healthful conditions, what did they do but select some spears of grass and weed and decorate them with egg-cases! For thirty days the egg-cases adhered to the twigs, then the little ones hatched out, larvæ, like their parents. After this curious circumstance had been discussed for a time, some scientific people thought they would try and force these axolotls to grow up. They were gradually removed from the water and accustomed more and more to breathe in the air. As this process continued, some of the creatures died, some made no change in their state, but some began to accommodate themselves to air-breathing without the help of water; the gills began to wither or waste away, as often happens to unused members of a living body; after a time these external gills dropped off entirely and the axolotl breathed through the slit at the bottom of the branchial stump. As soon as this was accomplished, behold, not an axolotl at all, but a salamander, for meantime the legs also had developed and strengthened.