666 %oology. 



though Pallas and De Lac^pede considered it in that light ; 

 but a perfect animal, according to the view early adopted by 

 Linnaeus, and now sanctioned by Cuvier." 



Mr. NeilPs late excellent gardener, Mr. Alexander Scott, 

 having now become a neighbour of ours, in the capacity of 

 foreman of the glasshouse department of Knight's exotic 

 nursery, Chelsea, we solicited him for any supplementary fact 

 which he might be able to supply ; and he has communicated 

 as follows : — 



" When drops of water fell from the glass of the hot-house 

 into its box, it generally got upon its paws, on the sharp 

 look-out for food, and would suddenly suck in the water, as 

 if it had succeeded in catching something. The only hint 

 it had of its prey was from the impulses or motions given to the 

 water, and not by sight, as was evident from its manner. It 

 would rise upon its feet, push its nose out of the water, or 

 search along the bottom, making attempts to catch if the prey 

 was near it, but generally in every direction but the right 

 one. This was the case, in whichever way the object was 

 placed ; at top, bottom, or at any intermediate position in the 

 water. It would eat a small minnow at a time : if the minnow 

 were large, it would bite a piece out of it. Sometimes it 

 would eat as many as three at a meal ; but this would serve 

 him for a week. A large earthworm required some exertion 

 to get swallowed. The siren would at once suck it in, as if by 

 magic; the worm would be as quickly darted out again, the 

 siren still retaining hold of one end, when it would again draw 

 in the worm, masticating it as it proceeded ; it would then, in 

 an instant, be sucked in. I once heard it make an indistinct 

 noise, resembling the croaking of a frog, but less distinct : it 

 was a very sluggish animal, and, unless for its food, seldom 

 moved out of its retreat, not probably for days, if undisturbed." 

 — Alexander Scott. Chelsea^ May 25. 1832. 



Flint, a writer on America, in his Geography and History 

 of the Western States, vol. i. p. 119., thus speaks of the iSiren 

 /acertina, under the name of ikfurse^na ^Siren : — ''It somewhat 

 resembles the lamprey, and is nearly 2 ft. in length. It seems 

 intermediate between the fish and the lizard class. It has two 

 short legs, placed near the head. It is amphibious, and pene- 

 trates the mud with the facility of a crawfish." The following 

 notice of the »Siren Zacerthia occurs in Turton's General Sys- 

 tem of Nature, vol. i. p. 671. : — " Body eel-shaped, tailed, 

 naked, compressed, sometimes l^ft. long; brown speckled 

 with whitish ; feet two, placed in the manner of arms, four- 

 toed, and furnished with claws; gill membranes three on each 

 side, toothed or feathered ; tail bonv. Inhabits muddv and 



