xSfthc Proteus Anguinu-'i. ~S 



Tlie Proteus Anguinus lives and multiplies in ihc Avater of 

 ■certain subterranean eaverns of Garnlola. The province in 

 which these caverns occur is divided by a chain of mountains of 

 secondary or ^rfl?m/?07? limestone, on which rest many hills of 

 posterior formation. Both in the mountains and hills are many 

 ■caverns and subterraneo'is passages stretcliing in various direc- 

 tions, and lying-in different places. These caverns communi- 

 cate with one another, so that the water first collected in those 

 at a higher levels falls down and circulates through subterrane- 

 ous channels, till it settles in the lower caverns, some of which 

 are of vast size and depth. Two of the most remarkable of 

 these caverns are situate near Adelsberg, a village lying mid- 

 way between Trieste and Lubiana. One of them, called the 

 Cavern of Adelsberg, is close to the village, and t?ie ether, 

 named the Cavern of Maddalena, is only a few miles distant. 

 It is in this last' that the peasants at present go to fish for Pro- 

 tei. On the 2d of August 1816, the authors, attended by three 

 peasants, furnished with torches, and with a small net in the 

 shape of a bag, fixed to the end of a staff, prepared to enter 

 this cavern. At 5 ©"'clock a. m., the temperature of the exter- 

 nal air at the mouth^of the cavern was 48° Fahr*. As they de- 

 scended, they passed through spacious apartments, some bf 

 them clothed with stelactites and cafc^spar, which reflected with 

 great brilliancy the light of the torches, smd exhibited a mag- 

 nificent appearance. Others appeared like pits of mud, which 

 rendered the walking verv inconvenient. At length they reach- 

 ed, a stagnant pond, about 30 feet broad, and at a depth belov>'^ 

 the -surface ©f about 170 toises. In this pond they saw one 

 proteus, but did not succeed in taking him ; and from the 

 water being turbid, and in too great quantity, in consequence 

 of heavy rains the day before, they were obliged to reascend, 

 after having been two hours in the cavern, without taking a 

 single proteus. The temperature of the v/ater in this pond 

 was 55°, and that of tlie air of the cavern was stationary at 



* In the original, the temperatures are given according to tl^ scale of Reau- 

 mur, which are here converted into the corresponding dcgieesof Fahrenheit. As 

 great precision is not necessary, the nearest whole numbers of Fahrenheit aiq taken, 

 in order to avoid fractions. 



