106 Historical Sketch of Improvements in [Aug. 



reptile found at Lime Regis, in Dorset, and which he formerly 

 referred to the fishes (Phil. Trans. 1816, p. 319, 320), and after- 

 wards compared with Ornithorhynchus (Phil. Trans. 1818, p. 24). 

 Sir E. Home has here admitted the animal to be a true reptile 

 (although he denies having given any previous opinion on the 

 subject), but has given to it the extraordinary generic name Pro- 

 teo-Saurus, although it had long before been denominated 

 Ichthyosaurus,* by C. Konig, Esq. of the British Museum, 

 and the name had generally been admitted by British naturalists. 

 It has in fact no essential affinity in any of its characters, with 

 the animal which has been of late years improperly denominated 

 Proteus, and which belongs to another and very diflierent class 

 of animals. Proteus, properly so called, is a genus of infusitory 

 animals, discovered long before the animal so misnamed was 

 known, and is figured in the Encyclopedic Methodique, Vers pi. 1. 

 f. 1 . This animal is well named, as it continually changes its form. 

 The misnamed Proteus is allied to the Linnean genus Siren, 

 and holds with it and the Axotle of the South Americans, a 

 place between the AiMPHiEiA and the Fishes, breathing by 

 means of gills, like the larvce of the true Amphibia, having 

 its locomotive organs in the form of walking legs, and not hke 

 fins. The sack on each side of these animals is now well known 

 not to be in any degree connected with respiration, and proba- 

 bly is destined to perform the function of the swimming bladder 

 of fishes. We understand that Dr. Leach is engaged with inves- 

 tigating the anatomical structure of the genera Siren, Axotle, 

 and the misnamed Proteus, with a view to point out the charac- 

 ter of a distinct class of animals, which he has named Sirenes. 



Class VI, Amphibia. 



In the Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila- 

 delphia, we find a description of a new species of Solamandra 

 (Salamander), discovered in the southern states of North 

 America, by Mr. Gilliams. 



In the Annals of Nature are described by Rafinesque three 

 new species of Necturus, a genus differing from Triton of 

 Dumeril, by having teeth, and four toes on all the feet ; its tail 

 is compressed. 



In the same number we find five new species of Triton 

 (Triturus, Rafinesque), described. 



Class VII, Pisces. 



Le Sueur has made us acquainted with several new American 

 species of the family Squalid.tl (Sharks), in the Journal of the 

 Philadelphian Academy of Natural Sciences ; in which work he 

 has also described a new Osmerus, two new species of Core- 

 GONUs (umber); two new species of Clupea (herring); four 



» A name we are ii:ippy to find ndoptei) by tl'.e just natur.ilists of tlie French 

 Museum, and attached to tlitir fpecimens in the Jardin dcs I'lantes. 



