and its Natural Affinities. 367 



which are concave at both ends^ as in fishes), in the cartilaginous 

 condition of the pieces forming the carpus and tarsus, and 

 probably also in the extraordinary size of the blood-corpuscles 

 (remarked in the first instance in the Proteus, but since then 

 found to prevail in all species the blood of which has been sub- 

 jected to microscopical examination). In 1821 a new genus was 

 added to the division of the Proteidse. It is a North- American 

 genus, the elongated form of which has a certain resemblance 

 to that of the Proteus, and which also possesses four feet, but 

 even smaller than those of the Proteus. Without these indica- 

 tions of four extremities, the genus would present strong afl&ni- 

 ties with Siren. But that which above all distinguishes it both 

 from Proteus and Siren is the fact of its not possessing gills, 

 but having a branchial aperture on each side of the neck. This 

 genus has been designated by the name Amphiuma*. 



Our knowledge of the Proteidse had arrived at this point, 

 when Miiller took upon himself to unite this new genus, under 

 the name of Derotreta, in a subdivision with the Hell-benderf. 

 This union was an artificial one ; for all that was then known 

 relative to the genus Amphiuma tended to secure it a place in 

 the vicinity of Siren. The Hell-bender, named successively 

 Abranchus, Menopoma, and Cryptohranchus, was imperfectly 

 known as regarded its internal structure. Moreover the cra- 

 nium, of which Cuvier had given an exact figure, presented only 

 remote relations with that of the Amphiuma^. A large reptile 

 from Japan, the knowledge of which we owe to the zeal of M. 

 de Siebold, who succeeded in bringing over a living specimen §, 

 appearing to me to show a strong affinity with the Hell-bender 

 of North America, I felt driven to regard the former, not as a 

 species of a new genus, but as a new species of a genus long 

 known. Instead of proposing a new generic denomination, I 



* It is worthy of note that this genus was really discovered before the 

 Hell-bender or Great Salamander of Michaux, by the same Dr. Alexander 

 Garden who made known the Siren. He sent this animal to Linnaeus 

 in 1771, under the name of Amphiuma. "These documents remained 

 among the papers of Linna;us, and were never brought to light but 

 through the edition published in 1821, by Sir James Edward Smith, 

 of the Correspondence of the great Swedish naturalist." (Cuvier, " Sur le 

 genre de Reptiles batrachiens nomme Amphiuma, et sur une nouvelle 

 espece de ce genre, Memoire lu a I'Aead. des So. Nov. 13, 1826," Mem. 

 du Museum, 1827, tome xiv. p. 2). 



t Derotremata, Miiller, Zeitschr. f. Physiol, iv. p. 203. 



X Miiller, who knew these skulls only through the figures of Cuvier, 

 himself made a similar remark (loc. cit. p. 204). The hyoid has been 

 figured by Harlan, I. c. 



§ This reptile is still living in Holland, and has been for many years in 

 the rich zoological garden of Amsterdam. Several other zoological gardens 

 now possess specimens. 



