CLASS IV. BATRACHIA: ORDER 3. AM P UIPNEUST A. 417 



THE AMPHIUMID^. 



This family includes several very curious animals having a persistent tail, and tour small legs 

 sometimes armed with claws ; there are no external branchia', and the lungs are well developed. 

 They are partial to the mud of shallow waters, and are chietly found in the United States. 



Genus AMFH.UJ MA: Amphiuma. — In these the body is eel-shaped, legs feeble and rudi- 

 mentary, with two or three jointless toes ; 

 no ribs ; two rows of teeth in the upper and 

 one in the lower jaw. The A. incaris is dark 

 brown, one to three feet long; found from 

 South Carolina to Mexico. The A. trydacty- 

 lum, is similar to the preceding. 



Genus MENOPOMA: Mennjioma.—To 

 this belongs the Alleghany Hell-I>'.,nder, 

 M. Alleffhaniensis. It is one to two feet long, 

 dark slate color, feeds on worms, crawfish, 

 fishes, and aquatic reptiles. It is very vora- 

 cious, and nothing it can master is spared. 

 It is dreaded by the fisherman, and is believed 

 to be poisonous ; the popular notions of it are 

 expressed in the various names of Mud Devil, 

 Ground Puppy, and Young Alligator. It in- 

 habits the Ohio and its tributaries, and also the Alleghany river. 



THE ALLEGHANY HELL-BENDER. 



ORDER 3. AMPHIPNEUSTA. 



In this the animals have a naked skin, an elongated body produced into a permanent tail, and 

 the limbs more or less developed. They have also permanent branchial organs, which project 

 from the sides of the neck. They are divided into two families, the Sirenid.e and Proteid^. 



THE SIEENID^. 



These have only two legs ; the body is long and somewhat cylindrical. 



Genus SIREN : Siren. — To this belongs the 



S. lacertina of South Carolina and Florida ; 



_ __ two feet lona:, black above and dusky beneath. 



'''•*^ "^^ ^^ -"^-^^ '**^ It is of an eel-like form, lives in the muddy 



water of the I'ice swamps, and feeds on worms 

 and insects. There are several smaller spe- 

 cies in the same regions. 



THE PEOTEIDJE. 



These have a compressed tail, large branchiae 

 and four legs. 



Genus HYPOCIITHON : Hypochtlion.— 

 To this belongs the Proteus of Europe, H. anquinus. a foot long, and of the size of a man's 

 finger; it is generally flesh-color, but sometimes white ; the eyes are small and hidden beneath 

 the skin, the legs four, small and weak. It swims easily, with a leech-like undulation of the body. 

 It is found in the muddy waters of certain caves in Carinthia, Austria, several hundred feet 

 below the surface. The eyes are useless for vision ; when in captivity this creature avoids the 

 light and seeks dark places. 



Genus MENOBRANCHUS : Menobranchus.— To this belongs the Banded Proteus, M. 

 lateralis, one to two feet long, body cylindrical and smooth, color brownish, spotted with black; 

 Vol. II.— 53. 



THE SIREN LACERTINA. 



