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also used alternately to push himself one way or another, when 

 he wishes to change his course. A common use for the hind-pair 

 is to throw them forward and brace them against the ground he 

 may be passing over, in order to check his onward movement, 

 either partially or entirely. In swimming about he has all the 

 appearance of the common eel ; and during these times he draws 

 both pairs of limbs close beside his body, when his action is 

 graceful and interesting to behold. 



When these sirens are at rest they either stretch out in gentle 

 curves, sluggishly along the bottom, or, what is not very un- 

 common for them to do, curl up tightly, in a spiral manner, the 

 latter two-thirds of their length, while the head and remaining 

 third is protruded forward in a direct line. In this curious 

 position they float near the surface, the head being lowermost. 

 If two occupy the same vessel they often curl about each other 

 in rather an affectionate manner ; but I have never witnessed 

 them quarrel or fight. One time I threw a dead king-snake into 

 the tub of my first small specimen, the snake being at least three 

 times as long as the siren. Imagine my surprise to see him fly 

 at the intruder, seize him just below the head, straighten out as 

 stiff as he could, then rapidly whirl round, as a drill does, caus- 

 ing the dead snake to be spirally coiled about his body. A 

 moment of quietude followed this strange maneuver, during 

 which time one could see a crunching movement on the part of 

 the jaws of the siren going on ; but, finding his enemy showed 

 no resistance, he slowly let go his hold, and, freeing himself from 

 the dead snake's coils, swam about the tank without paying him 

 any further attention. In a few moments, however, I repeated 

 the experiment, when he made the same attack with just as much 

 vigor as before ; but all subsequent trials failed, and I could 

 never induce him to take further heed of such a harmless enemy. 



This siren will eat crayfish in confinement ; but I never could 

 induce one to take anything else, although raw T meat was the 

 common bait used by the negroes in catching them for me. 

 Sometimes before a meal, or maybe after, your captive will swim 

 gracefully about his limited quarters, and occasionally rise to the 

 surface, stick his nose out of the water, and give vent to a loud, 

 blowing sound, that may be heard anywhere in a large room, 

 even if conversation be going on. As already remarked above, 

 my collectors usually took such specimens as they brought me, 

 with the ordinary hook and line, baited with fresh meat ; but 



