240 CLASS XV. 



Salamandra, to the following family. Compare^ on this group 

 SPENCER F. BAIIID'S Revision of the North American tailed Batra- 

 chia, Journal of the Acad. of Nat. Sc. of Philadelphia. Sec. Series, 

 i. 1850, pp. 281294. 



Phalanx I. Anguinea. Body elongate, round, with feet very 

 short and slender, either four in number or two anterior only. 

 Skin smooth. Tail compressed, two-edged, with adipose fin. Habit 

 of snakes or seines. 



Siren L. Branchiae persistent. Two very short feet, emergent 

 from trunk behind the branchiae, tetradactylous or tridactylous ; 

 hind feet none. Head obtuse ; upper jaw produced beyond lower. 

 Teeth subulate, crowded in palate. 



Sp. Siren lacertina L., Cuv. R. Ani., ed. ill., Rept. PI. 42, fig. 2, ELLIS Phil. 

 Transact. 1766, p. 189, Tab. IX. (reproduced in J. HUNTER'S Observations 

 on Anim. (Economy, with notes by K. OWEN, London, 1837, PI. 52), (EsTER- 

 DAM in LINN. Amcen. Acad.; from S. Carolina and attains a length of three 

 feet ; the feet have four toes. The siren feeds on worms and insects. 

 The skeleton has about ninety vertebrae, eight pairs of short ribs, of which 

 the first pair is affixed to the second vertebra, and no trace of pelvis. The 

 three cartilaginous branchial arches are attached to an osseous tongue-bone. 

 The lungs consist of two long sacs, of which the extremity is reflected 

 forward. SCHNEIDER and other earlier writers regarded this animal as 

 the larva of an unknown species of salamander, an opinion which cannot 

 now be any longer maintained. See especially CUVIER in HUMBOLDT 

 Recueil cFObserv. de Zool. &c. i. pp. 98 109, PI. xi. xiv., and Rech. sur 

 les ossem. foss. (Nouv. e"d. 1824) v, i. pp. 417 426, PI. 27. 



Two other smaller species are known, Siren intermedia and Siren striata, both 

 from North America; LECONTE Annals of the Lyceum of Nat. Hist, of New 

 York, Vol. I. 1824, pp. 52 54, PI. IV. Vol. II. p. 133, PL I. ; Siren striata 

 has only three fingers; see a figure by DUMER. and BIBRON, PI. 96, fig. i. 



Hypochthon MERE., Proteus LAUE. Branchiae persistent. Four 

 short limbs, anterior tridactylous, posterior remote, didactylous. 

 Teeth subulate in both jaws and in palate. Head triangular, nar- 

 rowed towards the obtuse snout. Eyes very small. 



Sp. Hypochthon Laurentii MERR., LAURENTI Specim. Tab. iv. fig. 3, p. 37, 

 STURM Deutschl. Fauna, Abth. in. Heft 5, &c. This animal lives in certain 

 caverns of Illyria and Dalmatia in subterranean waters, is of a pale flesh- 

 colour with bright red gills, and attains a length of u". Compare SCOPOLI 

 A nnus quintus Historico-naturalis, Lipsiae, 1772, 8vo, p. 73; SCHREIBERS, 

 Phtios. Transact. 1801, i, pp. 241 246, PI. xvi. xvin. ; CUVIER in HUMB. 

 Recueil, &c. i. pp. 117 122, PI. xni. figs. 5 10, and Ossem. foss. 1. 1. 

 pp. 426 430, and especially the beautiful monograph of P. CONFIGLIACHI 





