JTECTURUS. Nectunu lattrdlit. 



confinement, change of air and temperature, and occasional exposure to light for some 

 hours, as from mere starvation. It is well-known, for example, that, as a general rule, the 

 Batrachia endure starvation most remarkably." 



The gills of the Proteus are very apparent, and of a reddish colour, on account of the 

 blood that circulates through them. I have often witnessed this phenomena by means of 

 the ingenious arrangement invented by Dr. Beale, by which the creature was held firmly 

 in its place while a stream of water was kept constantly flowing through the tube in 

 which it was confined. The blood discs of this animal are of extraordinary size ; so large, 

 indeed, that they can be distinguished with a common pocket magnifier, even while 

 passing through the vessels. Some of the blood corpuscules of the specimen described 

 above are now in my possession, and, together with those of the lepidosiren, form a 

 singular contrast to the blood corpuscules of man, the former exceeding the latter in 

 dimensions as an ostrich egg exceeds that of a pigeon. 



The colour of the Proteus is pale faded flesh tint, with a wash of grey. The eyes are 

 quite useless, and are hidden beneath the skin, those organs being needless in the 

 dark recesses where the Proteus lives. Its length is about a foot. What are the natural 

 habits of this strange animal, what is its food, of what nature is its development, and what 

 is its use, are a series of problems at present unanswered. By some writers it has been 

 thought to be merely the larval state of some large Batrachian at present unknown ; but 

 the anatomical investigations that have been made into its structure seem to confirm the 

 idea that it is a perfect being, and one of those species which carry the gills throughout 

 their whole existence. 



IN the NECTUEUS, the head is much broader and flatter and the tail shorter than in the 

 preceding species. This animal belongs to the same family as the proteus, but is a native 

 of America, being found in the Mississippi and several of the lakes. It is rather a large 

 animal, attaining, when adult, a length of two or three feet, and being of a thick and 

 sturdy make. The gills of this creature are large and well tufted, and the limbs are 

 furnished with four toes on each foot, but without claws. 



