68 Dr. Mitchill on the Proteus of Like Erie. 



Under the genus so modified and framed with logical pre- 

 cision, the following species seem, at ieast, as far as I caa 

 comprehend them, to be capable of easy and natural dispo- 

 sition, to wit : 



Species 1. The Proteus of New-Jersey ; with a whitish 

 body ; invisible nostrils ; posterior feet five toed, anterior 

 four toed. Described by Professor Green in the Journal 

 of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, as the 

 P. Neo-CcBsariensis,\o\. l.No. 13; and followed by the re- 

 marks of 'I'h. Say, in No. 14. Seems to be the same that 

 was described and figured in Philad. Philosoph. Trans, vol. 

 4, as the Opercidated Siren. 



Species 2. The Proteus of the Alleghany river, with a 

 black fillet passing from the nostrils through the eyes, dilat- 

 ing over the sides and becoming obsolete on the tail. Seems 

 to be the Triton Lateralis of Say ; and tlie animal descri- 

 bed by Dr. Kdwin James in his account of major Long's 

 expedition to the rocky mountains vol. i. p. 4-7, with a dis- 

 section by Professor Harlan. I refer to that instructive 

 note for the particulars. We must by further observation 

 determine whether the Lake Champlain reptile of Schnei- 

 der, belongs to this species, or where. 



Species 3. The Proteus of the Lakes, — with spotted 

 skin, flabby lips ; a duplicature ofskin under the throat; large 

 fleshy head ; and broad flattish snout. This animal is men- 

 tioned by Barton as before quoted, for the huge or gigantic 

 Salamander; in which Cuvier has followed him. Des- 

 cribed in my paper printed in the Amer. Journ. of Sci. as 

 herein mentioned. 



To render the subject as plain as possible and to prevent 

 all dilKculty in identifying the animal 1 mean, I annex draw- 

 ings of his external form, executed by Issachar Cozzens, 

 Jun. from nauire. Fig. 1. PI. 2. represents him as seen by a 

 bird's eye view, on the bottom of a Lake or River. Fig. 

 2, exhibits him as beheld in a side view, after being raised 

 from the water. And that another view may be given I add 

 a third figure thereof, (Fig. 3,) as delineated by John Neil- 

 son, Jun. M. D. during the display of the individual which 

 Surgeon Delavan of the U. S. army brought me a few days 

 ago from Governor Cass of Michigan, who informs me they 

 are common in Detroit river. In the dissection I was as- 

 sisted by James E. Dekay, M. D. Corresponding Secretary 



