626 On the Snake-like Proteus. 



or young of the salamander (Salamandra Brong.) 9 three 

 branchiae, or gills, upon each of its sides, in the form of tufts, 

 which it evidently retains during the whole of its life. The 

 cartilaginous arcs, and the membranous lid, are also the same 

 as in those larvae. Its muzzle is elongate and flattened ; both 

 jaws furnished with teeth ; its tongue is capable of being a 

 little moved, and is loose in the fore part. The eye is exces- 

 sively small, and nearly hidden by the skin, as is the case with 

 the mole-rat (Mus typhlus); its ear is likewise covered by the 

 skin, like that of the salamander. The skin is smooth and 

 nearly white. It is only to be found in the subterraneous 

 waters which communicate with some of the lakes in Carniola. 

 The skeleton of the Proteus resembles that of the salamander, 

 with the exception of its having a good many more vertebrae, 

 but fewer rudiments of ribs. Its bony head, indeed, is alto- 

 gether different in its general conformation from that of the 

 Salamandridae." 



Next, the characters I will briefly state somewhat thus : — 



Proteidce Mihi. Body much lengthened, with a tail. Legs four; fore 

 feet having three toes, hind feet only two. 



Proteus. Tail compressed vertically. Both jaws with teeth. Eyes ex- 

 tremely minute, scarcely visible. 



Proteus anguinus. Body quite smooth, naked, very long, serpentiform, 

 yellowish- white, tinged more or less with pink. Branchiae ramified, 

 crimson. 



Hab. In deep waters amongst subterranean caverns and grottoes of 

 the limestone mountains in Carniola and Illyria, in Central Europe. 



It was in the subterraneous pools in the beautiful Magdalen 

 Grotto, distant about two miles from Adelsberg, in the pro- 

 vince of Carniola, about half-way between Laybach and 

 Trieste, that Dr. Laurenti discovered this strange creature. 

 He bestowed on it the names of Proteus anguinus, and first 

 made it known to the naturalists of that day. After that 

 learned zoologist, it has been described by Scopoli, Hermann, 

 Linnaeus, Schneider, Schreibers, Rudolfi, Cuvier, Rusconi, 

 Configliacchi, Davy, Agapito, and others. But of these, I 

 believe, Rudolfi, Schreibers, Cuvier, and Configliacchi have 

 examined its internal conformation by means of skilful dis- 

 sections, and thus have they most carefully ascertained its 

 anatomical structure. 



In general appearance, the Proteus resembles a lizard ; but 

 is much longer, and more serpentiform ; the hind legs farther 

 apart from the fore legs, the body more cylindrical, about an 

 inch in diameter, and nearly all of the same thickness. Its head 

 is rather flattened, with the muzzle elongated, obtuse, and 

 compressed, wherein it is not unlike that of a pike. The 

 mouth is large ; both the upper and lower jaw are furnished 



