On a neiu Spec'ies of Siren, T19 



beings^ which, with time, niuft lead us to a more correal 

 knowledge of) and a more intimate acquaintance with, them. 

 The animal to be treated of in this memoir is a proof of what 

 I advance, 



fii examining Mr. Pcale's colleAion, I had occafion to 

 remark amongll tlic amphihiae one which I have not fecn 

 defcribed by any author. It appeared to me entirely new, 

 and the more interefting as tending to determine our ideas 

 of the inguana, which has by fome been clafled amongft the 

 amphiblie, by others with fiih ; but which we find to be an 

 intermediate c^lafs conne6Hng thefe tv/o. 



After having examined, defcribed, and drawti this new 

 animal, Mr. Peale and I have thought proper to fpeak of it 

 to this Society before the publicatioil of hid catalogue, which 

 will foon take place. 



Linnieu.s, the celebrated Linnneus, whom jealoufy is fome- 

 tlmes plcafed to criticife generally without caufe; Linnjeu-;, 

 whofe errors, always exaggerated by his <detra6lors, are (let 

 my admiration for the merits of this great man excufe the 

 exprelhon) for the greater part marked with a ray of genius ; 

 Linnaeus, I fay, had formed a feparate order of the inguana (A) 

 difcovered in Suutli Carolina by Dr. Garden, fince whofe 

 death other natural i ft s, amongil whom was Compicr, (B) have 

 made fome new obfervations refpe6ling it. It was regarded 

 by him, Bonnaterre, (B) and Gmelin, the laft editor of the 

 works of Linna'Ut^, as a fifli. The latter naturalilt cpnfe- 

 quently fuppreifed the order of meantcs ; and the Sireri. Jar 

 certina is now found placed amongil the murrena under the 

 *ianie of Mur^na Siren. Although this animal has much 

 analogy to a fifh, being furnilhed with gills, Gmelin has ob- 

 ferved that, in the formation of them, the inguana and mu- 

 rx'na are diftinauifhable by the numbers of rays. He there- 

 fore fuppofes it {hould be placed amongft the brarichi- 

 ollegai, whatever relation it might otheruife have with the 

 muraina. 



Such is the laft opinion refpecling the inguana, (C) of 

 which we will give a defcription in order that we may com- 

 pare it with that of the new animal which is principally the 

 obje6l of this memoir. 



DcJ'criftkn 



