152 Lepidosirens. 



shaped, but here the resemblance ends. One 

 difference between the Lepidosiren and the eel 

 must strike the least observant namely, that the 

 former has four limbs, occupying the places of the 

 pectoral and ventral fins in other fishes, which, to 

 quote Professor Owen, (( are round, filiform, gradu- 

 ally attenuated to an undivided point, resembling 

 tentacles or feelers rather than fins or legs/' and 

 are the simplest form of limb known. Though 

 they have no other very noticeable outward 

 peculiarities, the Lepidosirens are very remarkable 

 creatures, approximating to the amphibia, and 

 possessing in reality far more peculiarities than 

 it is possible even to mention in an article of this 

 description. A few, however, of the most 

 important must be given. The respiratory organs 

 consist not only of gills, but also of lungs, or 

 rather lung-like sacs ; the skeleton is very peculiar, 

 being partly cartilaginous and partly bony, the 

 bony part being green, as in the common gar-fish ; 

 the dentition is also very peculiar, the jaws being 

 armed with two conical and slightly recurved 

 teeth and with strong dental plates on both the 

 upper and lower sides of the mouth ; and, lastly, 

 the nostrils, of which there are two pairs, are 

 placed within the opening of the mouth, and 

 these nostrils by their structure determine the 

 class to which the Lepidosiren belongs; for, as 

 Professor Owen says, "in the organ of smell we 

 have at last a character which is absolute in 

 reference to the distinction of fishes from reptiles. 



