Dissection of two doubtful reptiles. 259 



Account of the dissection of a Proteus of the Lakes 

 (Menobranchus) ; with remarks on the Siren intermedia. 

 By J. Augustine Smith. Read May 14, 1827. 



The length of the Proteus was ten inches. Its color 

 gray, interspersed with blue circular spots. The tail was 

 broad and anguilliform. The head was large, the mouth 

 wide, and both jaws, particularly the upper one, well fur- 

 nished with sharp teeth. The under part of the throat, and 

 the central portion of the abdomen, were white. The late- 

 ral portions of this last resembled the back, except that its 

 tints were lighter. 



The two anterior extremities were longer, but more slender 

 than the hinder ones. Every foot was furnished with four 

 toes. The soles of these feet were covered with a thick 

 brown cuticle. This extended a short distance up the toes 

 like the fingers of a glove, and terminated abruptly, as if these 

 fingers had been cut off. At the extremities of the toes, this 

 cuticular covering was very dark and conical, exhibiting the 

 appearance of nails, but these appendages did not exist. 



The feet, exceedingly resembled small hands without the 

 middle finger. 



The gills, or branchia, were large, trilobate, and beautifully 

 fringed or tufted. 



There were two oblong spiracula on each side of unequal 

 size, the larger half, an inch long, the smaller, about half that 

 length. They both communicated freely with the throat. 



Dissection. 



The liver was large, its edges considerably indented, form- 

 ing irregular lobes. It was connected with the anterior part 

 of the abdomen by a fold of peritoneum, forming a long deli- 

 cate suspensory ligament. The stomach was long, and full 

 of food in various states of digestion ; one insect, however, 



Vol. II. 33 



