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XXVIII. On the Proteus (Proteus anguinus). By M. Ru- 
DOLPHI*. 
I, has been for a long time supposed that this singular animal 
is only to be found in the lake of Sittich in Carniola, and that. 
it only issues from it in the case of inundations; but M. Ru-. 
dolphi some time ago discovered it in the grotto of St. Madeleine, 
about a league from Adelsberg ; and it may be also now found in 
some lakes and ponds, in sufficient numbers to make it a matter 
of no difficulty to procure specimens, 
The manners and the habits of the Proteus have a great affi- 
nity with those of the Salamander; and hence has arisen the 
same prejudice with respect to it ; namely, that it announces 
changes in the atmosphere. When the weather is fine, it is gay 
and lively, and sometimes protrudes its snout out of the water ; 
while in bad weather it remains tranquil at the bottom of any 
vase of water in which it may ke kept. 
Although the eyes of the Proteus are very small, and covered 
with thick enough eyelids, they are extremely sensible to the light, 
a strong suffusion of which renders the animal extremely lively in 
its movements. The veins which present themselves in such 
numbers to the naked eye, and still more abundantly to a mag- 
nifying glass, under the transparent skin of the animal, and 
whence that secretion of viscous plaster with which they are so 
profusely covered probably proceeds, seem to be expanded by 
the action of the light. It may, however, be so accustomed to 
the light as to become less sensible in this respect. M. Rudol- 
phi mentions the case of a Proteus which had at the time of his 
writing been kept for six months in a glass vase placed’ in the 
‘window of a house, though partially in the shade. 
Although the Proteus will live for several years in water with-- 
out any supply of food, there have been sometimes found in its 
stomach, on dissection, the remains of periwinkles and other small 
animals. 
The irritability of the Proteus is not great. M. Rudolphi has 
in many instances cut off the tail from the trunk, and instantly 
all motion ceased, even when galvanism was applied to excite it, 
while the dissevered parts of Salamanders ordinarily preserve their 
irritability for some hours, 
M. Rudolphi is led from this to hope that he may yet be able, 
as he has still ten specimens of the animal alive, to establish some 
important results on the reproductive power with respect to 
which he has already made numerous experiments. 
* Extracted from a Letter by M. Rudolphi to M. Linck, inserted in the 
Bibliotheque Universelle of Geneva for April 1818. ' 
M 3 The 
