133 



Description of a new Species of Siren. By Capt. John 

 Le Conte, U. S. Army, F. L. S. he. Read Aug. 21, 

 1826. 



This third species of Siren, which I propose to call Siren 

 intermedia, is an inhabitant of the same country as the two 

 other species already known. In its manners and habits it 

 appears to possess those of the S. lacertina, as well as those of 

 the iS. striata ; at times burrowing in the earth like the former, 

 at others living in the mud and water like the latter. Its 

 greatest length is twelve inches : colour uniform dusky, very 

 slightly paler beneath, sometimes faintly speckled with darker 

 above : teeth very small, situated on the roof of the mouth in 

 two clusters : spiracles, three on each side, each furnished 

 with a fleshy undivided operculum, the lowest one with two 

 very slight indentations on its exterior edge, the second with 

 one: feet four-toed, with very small indistinct claws, the points 

 of the toes darker : tail furnished above and below with a 

 narrow rayless fin. Length of the feet seven tenths of an 

 inch. 



I have not had an opportunity of seeing an oviferous female 

 of this animal, but that it is perfectly distinct from any other 

 species of its genus, is evident for the following reasons : it is 

 not the young of the S. lacertina ; for we have before us a 

 specimen of that animal, not above four inches in length, 

 which has the opercula as much fimbriated as one of the 

 largest size ; and it is not the same with the S. striata, for 

 that has but three toes, and never exceeds in length the young 

 one of our present species, which accompanies this memoir. 



Those pretenders to science who, by the useless multiplica- 

 tion of genera, are throwing the whole of natural history in- 

 to confusion, may adopt this as another species of the genus 

 which has been made of my Siren striata ; or they may form of 

 it still another genus, on account of its differing in the num- 

 ber of toes. 



Vol. II. 17 



