310 Scientific Intelligence. [Oct. 



the Diseases and Operative Surgery of the Eye, Oct. 5, at nine 

 o'clock in the morning, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 

 at 16, Newman-street, Oxford-street. 



II. On the Proteus anguinus. 



This singular animal supposed to be a native only of the lake 

 of Sittich in Carniola, whence, in times of flood, it escaped into 

 the Cirknitzer see, and which was generally considered as the 

 larva of some unknown amphibious animal, has lately been the 

 subject of an interesting letter from M. Rudolphi to Professor 

 Linck. 



According to M. Rudolphi it has recently been discovered in 

 the grotto of St. Madelaine, near Adelsberg, and in some other 

 small lakes, or pools, in the vicinity, in sufficient abundance to 

 have enabled him to procure 14 individuals. 



The manners and habitudes of this animal bear a great resem- 

 blance to those of the salamanders. Although the eyes of the 

 proteus are very small, and covered by a skin of considerable 

 thickness, the animal appears veiy sensible to light, and its 

 motions, when thus exposed, are very brisk ; the veins, also, 

 beneath the transparent skin of the animal become at the same 

 time very turgid. Although capable of enduring so long conti- 

 nued an abstinence that it was generally supposed to take no 

 solid food, M. Rudolphi has found in the stomachs of a few of 

 them the remains of snails and of other small animals. 



The irritability and muscular power of the proteus are veiy 

 feeble. The globular particles of the blood are larger than in 

 any other known animal, and its lungs are a sac much resembling 

 the air bladder of fishes ; which structure admitting only of a 

 very slow decarbonization of the blood, appears to account for 

 the very singular anomaly of the conjunct action of lungs and 

 gills in the same individual. 



Cuvier, who some years ago dissected a specimen of the 

 proteus, demonstrated in it the presence of ovaries, thus render- 

 ing the opinion of its being a perfect animal and not a larva 

 extremely probable. This observation has been fully confirmed 

 by M. Rudolphi, who, in some individuals, has detected ovaries, 

 and in others testicles. 



III. Notice concerning certain Minerals lately discovered. 



Several minerals have recently been discovered in the valley 

 of Fassa, in the Tyrol, and in different parts of Germany, which, 

 by Werner and his pupils, have been regarded as distinct species. 

 Specimens of these having been sent to M. Haiiy, were exa- 

 mined by him and by M. Cordier, the latter of whom has pub- 

 lished a paper on the subject (Ann. des Mines for 1818, p. 1), 

 from which the following particulars are extracted. 



Albin. — This mineral, so called by Werner from its white 

 colour, occurs at Mariaberg, near Aussig, in Bohemia, imbedded 

 in clinkstone. It forms tubercular masses lining or filling cavi- 



