r/H O.N A NEW SPECIES of SIREN. 



tors, are (let my admiration for the merits of this great 

 inan excufe the expreffion) for the greater part niarkeJ 

 with a ray of genius ; Linna?us 1 fay had formed a 

 feparate order of the Jnguana (A) difcovercd in South 

 Carohna by Dr. Garden, fmce whofe death other natu- 

 ralifts amongft wliom wavS Mr. Compler, (B) have made 

 fome new obiervations refpecting it. It was regarded 

 by him, Bonnaterre, (B) and Gmelin the lall editor of 

 the works of Linnxus as a fiflh. The latter naturalift 

 confequcntly fupprefled the order of Mcantes; and the 

 i'ir^n lacertina is now found placed amongft the Mu^ 

 ra/ia under the name of Murcena Siren. Although this 

 animal has much analogy to a fiili, being furnifhed with 

 gills, Gmelin has obferved that in the formation of 

 them, the Inguana and Muraena are diftinguUhable by 

 the iiumbers of rays. He therefore fuppoies it fhould 

 be placed amongft the branchioflegx whatever relation 

 it might otheiwife have with the Murcena. 



Such is the laft opinion refpedling the Inguana (C) 

 of which we will give a defcription in order that we 

 may compare it with that of the new animal which 

 is principally the obje£t of this memoii". 



Defcription of ihe Inguana, called Mud Inguana by tbe America7is^ 

 Siren lacertina by Linnaus, and Murtena Siren by Gmelin. 



Head flat at top, rounded at the nofe, eyes fmall, nof- 

 trils fmall and placed near the end of the fnout which is 

 ibmetimes marked with a brown fpot, colour chefnut, fig. 

 3. A BCD. 



Mouth furniftied with a row of fmall teeth, fig. 2. 

 Auricular hole nearly in the form of a femicircle, fur- 

 ftiflied on the exterior with three fhort, thick fringed 

 lobes adhering to three ferrated rays on the interior with 

 ©percula, fig. i. E. 



Only 



