On the Snake-like Proteus. 627 



with little teeth ; the eyes so small, that they are scarcely to 

 be discerned, without looking close on the head ; when two 

 black specks are perceptible, and which are covered with the 

 skin. Six branchiae, or gills, through which it breathes like 

 a fish, are fixed on the sides ; three on one side of the occiput, 

 and three on the other. In form, these are like to little plants, 

 or pieces of coral, and constitute a sort of semicircular crest 

 at the back of the head. Under the gills, on each side, there 

 are two narrow branchial apertures. The fore feet are rather 

 stouter and firmer than the hind : they each have three little 

 toes ; but the hind feet are more slender and shorter, and 

 have each only two toes. All the toes are without claws or 

 nails. The body is usually about a foot long, and is a little 

 compressed on the sides, but thickest towards the tail, which 

 is much flattened vertically, and is in the shape of a spatula, 

 with the skin terminating in a membranaceous edge. Its 

 colour is of a yellowish white, tinged with flesh-colour : on 

 the sides of the body, and especially on the tail, the pink in- 

 clines to violet. The branchial tufts are much ramified, of a 

 red or crimson colour, and varying greatly in intenseness. 

 The skin is remarkably transparent, smooth, and entirely lu- 

 bricated with a viscid mucus, and sometimes covered with 

 minute reddish dots. The pink hue on the body of this 

 animal changes and becomes violet-brown, more or less quickly 

 in proportion as it is exposed to the light. Its food princi- 

 pally consists of snails, small Mollusca, worms, slugs, and 

 water insects. In its motions it is nearly allied to the common 

 eel. It is greatly affected by the changes of weather, and is 

 said in the winter to become torpid, rolling itself in holes and 

 crevices of the rocks, and, perhaps, burrowing under the mud. 

 From their being so susceptible of atmospheric variations, 

 the Benedictine Monks at Sittich (where it is sometimes 

 found) used to keep several Protei in glasses, in the place of 

 barometers, for the purpose of indicating the state of the 

 weather ; because in fine weather they are very lively, and 

 swim about a good deal, putting their noses and mouths out 

 of the water, as if to inhale the air into their lungs; whilst 

 in bad weather they keep at the bottoms of the glasses and 

 remain perfectly quiet. The vast depth below ground at 

 which the Protei are wont to live will readily account for 

 their being so remarkably capable of feeling the changes of 

 the weather, when they are brought upon the surface of the 

 earth ; for it is chiefly in a small lake, about 40 ft. in width, 

 which is supposed to terminate the innermost extremity of 

 the Magdalen Grotto, at the depth of about 1200 ft., that 

 they are most commonly found, and are caught by means of 



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