ALLIED FORMS. 171 



subterranean pools in the caverns of Illyria and Carniola. In 

 this animal two pairs of limbs are developed ; the external gills 

 continue in addition to the true lungs, and the creature makes a 

 still nearer approach to the ordinary reptilian form. The Proteus 

 is in its natural state of a flesh-whiteness and transparency of 

 colour, and decked around the neck with the brilliant scarlet 

 fringes of its branchiae, it has a most remarkable appearance. 

 Living perpetually in total darkness, organs of vision would be 

 perfectly useless, and its eyes are accordingly reduced to mere 

 points, and hidden by the skin. Closely allied to Proteus is 

 the curious Axolotl of the Mexican lakes, an animal, it appears, 

 regularly exposed for sale in the Mexican markets, and which, 

 at the time of the invasion of the country by Cortez, is said to 

 have afforded food to his army for some time. In this connec- 

 tion, too, we must mention, though it is barely possible to do 

 more, the Menobranchus of the great North American lakes, the 

 Amphiuma, the Menopome, and the Sieboldia, or Gigantic Newt 

 of Japan, of which several nearly full grown specimens have 

 recently been added to the magnificent collection of animals in 

 the Regent's Park Gardens. 



We come now to those lately adopted pets, the Water-Newts 

 and their allies. These animals belong to the family Salamandridce, 

 which comprehends, besides the Newts, tie true land Salaman- 

 ders, which figure so grimly in the pages of the ancient writers 

 on natural history. Of these redoubtable worthies we will speak 

 in due course ; for the present, let us look at our little Newts, or 

 Aquatic Salamanders. The Newts share not only the name of 

 their more celebrated congeners, but their fame also ; and so 

 widely spread and deep rooted is the belief that they are endowed 

 with poisonous properties, that scarcely a village lad could be 

 found who would venture boldly to grasp them in his hand. 

 We suspect, moreover, that even amongst those who have lately 

 adopted them as household pets, there are very few who would 

 not, like the old lady pictiired in " Punch," prefer the tongs to their 

 fingers if occasion should arise for handling them. 



It appears that we have only two distinct species of Newts in 

 Britain ; though, from the constant variation in their appearance, 

 the number is supposed to be at least double. Our largest 

 species (Triton cristatus) measures, when full grown, about six 

 inches in length, and in colour is brown above and a bright 



