REPTILIA. 241 



and RUSCONI Del Profeo angnino di Laurenti, Pavia, 1819, 4to. Constant 

 local varieties occur in the diiferent districts where this animal is found 

 (or, as some think, different species), which are characterised by the form 

 of the head and of the gills, and by the proportions of the body. See Fitzin- 

 GER Uehcr den Proteus anguinus dev Autoren, ^itzungshericlite der math, 

 natui'w. Classe der haiserl. ATcademie der Wissensch. October, 1850. The 

 most distinct of these is ffypochtho7i xanthostictus FiTZ., of a dull purple 

 colour, with yellow spots, and with large, widely extended, coarsely divided 

 giUs. 



Amphhima Garden, Harlan, Cuv. Branchite evanescent. 

 Branchial apertures beliind the head persistent. Four feet, didac- 

 tjlous or tridactylous. Teeth sharp, subulate in jaws and palate. 



This genus, peculiar to North Amei'ica, is very similar to the Proteus of 

 Europe, but without pennanent gills; though named as early as 1773 by 

 Dr. Garden of Charlestown, in his correspondence with Ellis, it was 

 first made generally known by the descriptions of the North-American 

 zoologist Harlan, Annals of the Lyceum of Neiv Yorlc, i. p. 269, and espe- 

 cially by those of CuviER, Mem. du, Mus. xiv. 1827, pp. i — 14, PI. i. 11. 

 According to Tschudi, Amphiuma means Cuv. (with two fingers) is not 

 specifically different from Amphiuma tridactylum Cuv. Comp. also a fig. 

 o{ Amphiuma tridactylum in Cuv. 7?. Ani., ed. ill., Reptiles, PI. 41, fig. i. 



Plialanx II. CorduUna. Body depressed, with four short legs. 

 Skin in adults often rugose, warty. Habit of salamanders. 



Menohraaclius Harlan, Nectnrus Rafin., Fitz. Branchiaj 

 persistent, broad, with short fringes, adhering to a depressed petiole. 

 All the feet tetradactylous. Eyes small. 



Sp. Menohranchus lateralis Harlan, Proteus tetradactylus Lac, Ann. du 

 Mus. X. 1807, pp. 230 — 233, PI. 17, Harlan Ann. of the Lyceum of New 

 Yorl-, I. PI. 16; HoLBKOOK, North American Ilcrptetology, Vol. III. Phila- 

 delphia, 1838, PI. 30; GuKRiN, Iconogr., Rep>t., PI. 29, fig. 4, Cuv. R. Ajii., 

 ed. ill., Rept., PI, 41, fig. 2; North America, in lake Erie, the rivers Alle- 

 ghany and Ohio. This animal appears to attain a length of 2'. One or 

 two other species of this genus have been discovered in North America. 



Cryptobranchus Leuck., Fitz., nob. Menopoma Harl., Sala- 

 mandrops Wagl., (add Megalohatrachus TsCHUDI, Sieholdia Bo- 

 NAP.). BranchijE evanescent. Head depressed, broad. Teeth in 

 jaws and palate cylindrical, with apex subulate, in rows, crowded; 

 palatine teeth arranged in a parallel row near the maxillary. An- 

 terior feet tetradactylous, posterior pentadactylous. Skin plicate, 

 undulate, loose at the sides of body. 



Sp. Cryptobranchus AUeghaniensis nob., Salamandra gigantca Barton, Cuv. 

 R. Ani., ed. ill., Rept., PI. 41 his. fig. i, Barton Memoir concerning an 

 VOL. II. 16 



