The Spotted Salamander, (_Salamandra maculosa_), because of its broad, bright yellow bands and blotches, laid on a rich, dark-brown body color, is one of the most showy of all Amphibians. It comes from Europe, and being much prized in collections, it frequently passes through the hands of dealers in reptiles. Its skin is very moist and clammy, which gives the creature the appearance of having been varnished. This is the creature which is supposed to be able to withstand fire—a belief which is purely imaginative. The Tiger Salamander or Axolotl, (_Amblystoma tigrinum_), is a widely different creature from the preceding. It is found throughout the greater portion of the North American continent, and as far south as Central Mexico. Thirteen other species of the genus _Amblystoma_ are found in North America and Mexico. In the matter of “harmonizing with environment,” the _Amblystoma_ is one of the most remarkable creatures in existence. In its larval stage (corresponding with the tadpole stage of a frog), this animal possesses external gills, red and sponge-like in appearance, and its tail has a fin-like edge above and below, like the tail of an eel. [Illustration: METAMORPHOSIS OF THE LEOPARD FROG.] So long as this larval creature remains in water, its external gills remain and do duty, and the larval stage continues indefinitely. Remove it from water, or let its home pool dry up, and, presto! its gills dry up, its tail loses its fin-like edges, and the creature goes about on land, breathing air instead of water, with lungs instead of gills. The “Water-Dog” or “Hellbender,” (_Cryptobranchus allegheniensis_), is a salamander-like amphibian, from 18 to 22 inches long when adult, found more frequently in Pennsylvania than elsewhere. They are said to be very tenacious of life, and voracious in their food habits, feeding on worms, minnows and crayfish, and often taking the hook of the fisherman in quest of that most repulsive of all American fishes, the cat-fish. Between cat-fish and water-dog there would seem to be small choice. Mr. William Frear offers this testimony in regard to the tenacity of life of this creature: “One specimen, about 18 inches in length, which had lain on the ground exposed to a summer sun for 48 hours, was brought to the museum, and left lying a day longer before it was placed in alcohol. The day following, desiring to note a few points of structure, I removed it from the alcohol in which it had been completely submerged for at least 20 hours, and had no sooner placed in on the table than it began to open its big mouth, vigorously sway its tail to and fro, and give other undoubted signs of vitality.”