^4* ^^ "THE PROTEUS ANGUINUS. 



tnost favourable for their nourishment, and for their breed- 

 ing, if they be capable of it*. 

 Manners. As to the manner of living of the proteus, whether it be a 



perfect animal or not, its principal eharact'^r is a very decided 



Strong antipa- antipathy to daylight. Expoyed to the sun it is agitated in 

 thy to light. ,. ' , . ' 



an extraordmary manner, and makes continual efforts to es- 



No external <^^pe. Yet it has no eyes externally, or, as Scopoli asserts, 

 eyes: £vvo tubercles in the place of eyes. Mr. Sthreiber first dis- 



Vuttwoundsr- covered its small, black, subcutaneot-s eyes, which are per- 

 fieath the skin, ceptibte sometimes, though but rarely; and this only in in- 

 dividuals that have grown lean by forced abstinence, and the 

 epidermis of which is become very thin. 

 Mo"re«;bv ^" ^^^ movements under water the proteus sometimes em- 



fneansofits ploys its paws, or feet; at other times its tail, in d-fferent 

 slowh'^^ ''^ ' manners. Its progress is slow and circumspect : but when it 

 When offend- ^^ irritated it flees with swiftness, and with a siouoiis motion 

 ed quickly and ^\q an eel. In this case it makes no use of its feet ; and as 

 those behind might impede its velocity, it keeps them close 

 Conceals itself *^ *^^ bod)% During the day it likes to keep itself concealed , 

 in the day : and Seldom changes its place : by night on the contrary it is 

 at nig ^^'^"^O" aiyvays seen moving about at the bottom of tlie water, and 



' frequently attempts to get out. 



Takes no food Those t! at are thus in captivity would never toudi any of 

 in confine- the food offered them, such as fresh eggs of fishes, fibres of 

 *"^"^* fishes or frogs, aquatic worms, polypi, conferva, &c. ; pot 



even the helix tliermalis, though it is certain in a state of 

 liberty they swallow a great number of these testaceous ani- 

 mals ; for I have found as many as eighty-four of their 

 shells in the excrements of a well fed proteus, which he dis- 

 charged at three times the second day of his captivity. 

 When living ones were given him, he took up one with hi* 



Receptacle * The nrchduke John has had a subterranean canal constructed of tufa- 



formed for ^ stroam yf spring water runs through the sinuosities formed in it, and 



theni by the ^jj^ ^^^^ diflferon\ basins, in which the protei are. A snttne was selected, 

 Wehduke. , ',.,.. , , < , • \. , , 



the waters of v.hich contam insects ada^>ted tor then- food j and means 



jhave been contrived for inspecting the little colony, when it may be 

 thought time. It is to he wished by tlie epicure, that the protei may 

 irced, for l[ieir flesh is vrbitc, delicate, and of an exquisite flavour, 

 as 1 have been assured by Baron Zois, -who has eaten it. Note t^f 

 Mr. Siauife, 



mouth 



