Dr. Mitchill on the Proteus of Lake Erie. 65 
thought I perceived between my animal and yours, I ven- 
tured to introduce my new acquaintance to the public asa 
Proteus. , 
But there were difficulties in the execution of my wish to 
procure his reception under that title. Other animals of the 
same family, and supposed to belong to the same species 
had been observed by several of my friends. Certain of 
these gentlemen entertained ideas of classification different 
from mine. Their sentiments on this point merited due re- 
gard. Under these circumstances, 1 felt myself both wil- 
ling and able to attempt a methodical distribution of these 
animals which had caused so much perplexity, and embar- 
rassment to zoologists. 
-bender race belonged to one and the same species, it 
has been represented that he was a TRITON. 
ou know, that the T'riton has been latterly discon- 
considered as 
defines the Triton as having “ a body equal, cylindrically 
round, somewhat verrucose, and scaleless ; tail compress- 
ed and lance-shaped ; elegantly active in water.” He enu- 
merates eleven species. 
la Cepede in his valuable history of oviparous quad- 
rupeds and serpents, vol. 2. p. 211, et seq. treats of Sala- 
manders with flat tails, otherwise known as newts and water 
or marsh lizar He affirms the females of this section to 
e so different from the males as to have been regarded a 
i Pe- 
them were mistaken for males. He does not admit the 
Mexican reptile, called Arolotl, to be any thing more than 
a water Salamander. Triton and Proteus are not found in 
his synoptical table. ee 
he genus, however, is retained, you know, by Dume- 
ril in his Zoologie Analytique, p. 94—5. Triton embraces 
according to him all the species of water Salamanders. He 
says ‘they lay eggs and live in the water, at least until the 
time of their fecundation. The species seem to be very 
Vor. VII.—No. 1. 9 
