Observations on the Genus Salamandra. 229 



From the head to the pelvis there exists in the 



Salamandra Alleghaniensis (Michaux), gi- 

 gantea (Barton) -------- 



Snlamandra rubra (Daudin)* - - - 

 Triton lateralis (Say) ------- 



Axolotl or Siren pisciformis (Sliaw)f - - 

 Proteus anvuinus -------- 



Siren lacertina --------- 



The rudiments of ribs in the skeleton of the Proteus anguinus 

 figured by Cuvier, (in Humboldt's Voyage) are represented 

 as immoveable, or continuous with the transverse process, 

 whereas they are represented as moveable rudiments in the 

 figures of the skeletons given in the works of Configliachi and 



* The skeleton of the Salamandre terrestre, figured in Sopnini's edition 

 of Buffon, and which is said to have been taken from Latreille, (Histoire 

 Nat. des Salamandres de France,) is represented with only fifteen vertebra? 

 from the head to the pelvis, and fourteen ribs on each side. In a large 

 aquatic Salamandra, (Lacert. lacuslris of Lin.) whose skeleton I possess, 

 there are sixteen vertebrae from the head to the pelvis, and fifteen ribs. In 

 this animal there are thirty-two vertebra; to the tail, including the sacral, 

 making in all forty-eight ; though the extreme end of the tail appeared to be 

 lost. 



f The figure of the skeleton of the Axnloll (in Humboldt's Voyage, Sic.) 

 is represented with sixteen vertebras from the head to the pelvis, and fifteen 

 ribs on each side; thus making the figure to disagree with his description, 

 which is, as expressed in the table — " The Siren," according to the same 

 author, " has ninety vertebrae from the head to the pelvis, the anus being 

 opposite to the forty-fifth. The Salamandre terrestre has thirty-eight, the 

 aquatic nearly forty vertebrae in all ; the pelvis is supported sometimes at 

 the sixteenth, sometimes at the fifteenth, in the terrestre ; and at the four- 

 teenth or fifteenth in the aquatic. In the Siren, eight vertebra? (from the 

 second to the ninth) are furnished with false ribs. In the Salamandra ter- 

 restris there are twelve or thirteen ribs ; in the Salamandra aquatica only 

 eleven. In the Proteus, there are fifty-six vertebrae in all, the pelvis is at' 

 tached to the thirty-first; only six vertebra?, counting from the second, 

 have ribs." The number of vertebra? and ribs in the aquatic Salamandra 

 appears to differ in different species. 



