living Specimen of Siren lacertina. 840 



will probably prevent this fact from being proved or disproved r, 

 by actual experiment.'" Lastly, it is said, " It does not appear, 

 by the most careful observations of modern naturalists, that 

 the animal has a vox cantUlans, and the idea which produced 

 the generic name is therefore imaginary." 



In the early part of the summer of 1825, Dr Farmer of, 

 Charleston, South Carolina, sent to Dr Monro, Professor of 

 Anatomy and Surgery in the University of Edinburgh, a li- 

 ving specimen of the animal. It was nearly a foot and a half, 

 long, and was four inches in girth where thickest. It came in a 

 small barrel, which was half filled with mud and water, and per- 

 forated above. On its arrival in this country it seemed in a slug^ 

 gish state ; and it was not observed to eat any thing whatever for . 

 many weeks. Dr Monro being desirous that the animal should, 

 if possible, be preserved alive, and its habits noted, confided 

 the charge of it to me ; and I certainly feel much indebted to 

 the Doctor for placing so rare and curious an animal in my 

 hands. Although, during the two years and a-half it has been 

 in my possession, no perceptible change has taken place in the 

 form or size of the fimbriated branchiae, and although I cannot 

 boast of having made any new or very striking observations, 

 yet perhaps I am able to add a little to our stock of knowletlge 

 regarding this singular animal, and to confirm some and refute 

 others of the opinions above related. 



Immediately on receiving the specimen, a large wooden box 

 was prepared, with an inclined plane at one end of the interior, so 

 that the animal might, when it chose, raise itself out of the wa- 

 ter more or less, and repose in that situation. At first we 

 placed a quantity of sand in the bottom of the box, in the 

 expectation that the siren would burrow in it ; but we after- 

 wards found that tufts of mosses (hypnum or sphagnum) were 

 better suited to the taste and habits of the animal, as it evident- 

 ly delighted to hide itself under the moss, to lie upon it, and to 

 root amongst it. 



Soon after it came into my possession I found that, in a warm 

 day, it would eat one or two small eardi-worms, when placed 

 close by its head, so that the struggles of the worm, in drowning, 

 should attract its attention (for its eyesight does not seem acute); 

 but that it would take ho more food till after the lapse of per- 



