ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



1097 



KCROl'KAN m.IND SAI.AMA NDKUS 



developed, altliougli, as in the others of the 

 family, there are no eyelids. The subterranean 

 Typhlomolge from Texas, which is entirely 

 blind, has been exhibited twice at the New York 

 Aquarium, the specimens coming from deep 

 artesian wells at San Marcos. The Proteus 

 has not before been exhibited. 



This species inhabits subterranean waters of 

 C'arniola, Carintliia and Dalmatia, about the 

 head of the Adriatic Sea. "The vast caves of 

 Adelsburg, not far from Trieste, are especially 

 celebrated for the occurrence .... of this ani- 

 mal. The river Poik disappears into the lime- 

 stone hills and rushes through enormous stalac- 

 tite grottoes .... There deep down below the 

 surface, in absolute darkness, in an almost con- 

 stant temperature of about fifty degrees Fah- 

 renheit, is the home of Proteus." 



The species reaches nearly a foot in length 

 and our largest specimen is about nine inches 

 long. As might be expected in the case of a 

 cave species, the body is colorless, except that 

 tiie blood gives a slight pinkish tinge to the 

 body, and the three pairs of external gills are 

 brilliant carmine. According to Gadow, quoted 

 above, "the white skin is almost as susceptible 

 to light as is a photographic plate. If light is 

 not absolutely excluded the wliite skin becomes 

 in time cloudy, and if exposed to strong light the 

 whole animal turns ultimately jet black." 

 Though our two specimens have been kept in 

 the same tank, exposed to strong daylight since 

 their arrival on December second, one of them 

 shows no indication whatever of any color 

 change. The other specimen has become almost 

 uniformly light grey. 



Although constant effort has been made to 

 induce our specimens to feed, thej' have as yet 

 eaten nothing; but, according to Gadow, speci- 

 mens are known to have existed for years with- 

 out taking any nourishment. They swim read- 

 ily in an eel-like manner in the aquarium jar. 

 Occasionally they may rise to the surface to 

 take a new supply of air into the lungs, after 

 wiiich they usually drop without any muscular 

 action toward the bottom. Sometimes they may 

 come to rest upon tiie plants in the aquarium, 

 and may remain in this position for some time 

 witliout moving. 



The limbs of this species are ver}' small and 

 degenerate. The fore limbs are provided with 

 three toes. The hind limbs, which are some- 

 what smaller, have but two toes. The vestigial 

 eyes are entirel}' covered by the skin of the 

 head, and thus are scarcely visible. The tail is 

 strongly keeled above and below, for the pur- 

 pose of swimming. In the aquarium tank they 

 appear much more active than the mud puppy, 

 crawling about over the vegetation and occa- 

 sionally swimming actively. 



Another publication in this series has just 

 made its ajapearance under the title, "The Care 

 of Home Aquaria," prepared by Dr. Raymond 

 C. Osburn. Assistant Director of the Aquarium. 

 Ever since the opening of the New York Aqua- 

 rium there have been constant calls for informa- 

 tion in regard to this subject. In the New 

 York Zoological Society Bulletin for April, 

 1903, Director Townsend gave a brief discus- 

 sion of the subject. Tlie Bulletin for March, 

 1912, was entirely devoted to a discussion of 

 "The Balanced Aquarium," by Dr. Osburn, but 

 the edition of fifteen hundred cojDies was ex- 

 hausted by sales at the door within a few 

 months. 



Still the demands for information did not 

 cease and to meet this need the present work, 



