196 REPTILIA. 



Skeletons of a salamander three feet in length have" been discovered 

 among the schist of GEningen. One of them is the pretended Fossil Man 

 of Scheucher. 



Immediately after the Salamanders come several very similar ani- 

 mals, some of which are considered as having been always destitute 

 of branchiae, that is, they probably lose them at as early a period as 

 our terrestrial Salamanders; the others, on the contrary, retain them 

 for life, a circumstance, however, which does not prevent their hav- 

 ing lungs like the Batrachians, so that they may be considered as 

 the only vertebrate animals which are truly amphibious. 



The former (those in which no branchiae are visible) constitute 

 two genera. 



MENOPOMA, Harlan. 



Form of a Salamander; eyes apparent, the feet well developed, and an ori- 

 fice on each side of the neck. Besides the range of small maxillary teeth, 

 there is a parallel row of them on the front of the palate. Such is the rep- 

 tile termed 



Sal gigantea, Barton. (The Hellbender.) From fifteen to eighteen 

 inches long; a blackish blue; inhabits the lakes and the rivers of the inte- 

 rior of North America. 



AMPHIUMA, Garden. 



An orifice on each side of the neck, but the body excessively elongated; the 

 legs and feet, on the contrary, but very slightly developed; the palatine teeth 

 form two longitudinal ranges. 



Among those which always retain their branchiae, the 



AXOLOTUS 



Is in every respect similar to the larva of an aquatic Salamander, having 

 four toes before, five behind, three long tufted branchiae, &c. The maxil- 

 lary teeth are like velvet, and those on the vomer in two bands. 



MENOBRANCHUS, Harl. 



But four toes to all the feet; a range of teeth in the mtermaxillaries, and an- 

 other, parallel, but more extended, in the maxillaries. 



The species most known, Menobranchus lateralis, Harl.; Triton lateralis, 

 Say, inhabits the great lakes of North America, attaining, as it is said, the 

 length of two and three feet. It was first obtained from Lake Champlain. 



PROTEUS, Laurent. 

 But three toes before and only two behind. 



Hitherto but a single species has been discovered, Proteus anguinu*, 



