Lepidosirens. 153 



In every fish it is a short sac communicating only 

 with the external surface ; in every reptile it is a 

 canal with both an external and an internal 

 opening. According to this test, the Lepidosiren 

 is a fish ; by its nose it is known not to be a reptile ; 

 in other words it may be said that the Lepidosiren 

 is proved to be a fish not by its gills, not by its air 

 bladders, not by its spinal intestine, not by its 

 unossified skeleton, not by its generative apparatus, 

 nor its extremities, nor its skin, nor its eyes, nor its 

 ears, but simply by its nose ; so that at the close of 

 our analysis we arrive at this very unexpected 

 result, that a reptile is not characterised by its 

 lungs nor a fish by its gills, but that the only 

 unexceptionable distinction is afforded by tbe 

 organ of smell." 



Though Lepidosirens are without doubt fishes, 

 they spend a considerable part of their existence 

 out of the water, as they inhabit shallow waters 

 which periodically dry up. During the dry season 

 they enclose themselves in balls of clay, which are 

 lined with mucus, and have small holes at either 

 end to admit the air. In these they remain torpid 

 until the rains refill their pools, when they emerge 

 and resume their existence in the water. The 

 balls of hardened clay enclosing the fishes in a 

 torpid condition are sometimes brought to this 

 country, and specimens of them may be seen in the 

 British Museum. These fishes are said never to 

 leave the water voluntarily ; but from time to time 

 they rise to the surface to fill their lungs with 



