2 Ohservat'tons on the Natural Hhtorij 



- yi^vieUrr of it. After this Hermann and Schtrethers wrote on the Pri> 



tens, but described only its external parts, and contributed no-^— 

 thing to clear up the many doubts and conjectures respecting^H 

 it. In this state of uncertainty, Dr Schreibers first had recourse 

 to anatomy, as the only satisfactory mode of gaining correct in- 

 tbrmationr but unfortunately he possessed only three Protei, 

 which had been sent to him from Carniola, preserved in spirits ; 

 which circumstance precluded him from giving that complete 

 information which might otherwise have been expected from so 

 eminent a imturalist. His description was published in 1801 ; 

 and among many excellent obser\ations, he points out the stri- 

 king differences of form in the lungs of the Sirena hcerfinay 

 compared v»ith those of the Proteus^. Next to Schreibers, we 

 have to notice two zoologists of the highest celebrity, MM.. 

 Cuvier and Rudolphi, both of whom examined the internal 

 structure of this animah The former first discovered, and ac- 

 curately described the oj-gans (;f generation in the female, and 

 established, on a solid foundation, that the Proteus was not a 

 larva, as many had supposed, hut a perfect animal' ; an opinion 

 now generally followed, and confirmed by the recent observgu- 

 tions of i^udolplii, who has described the generative system in 

 the male, and communicated observations on the globules of the 

 blood, which, in thi& animal, seem to be of an unusually large 

 size. 



• The authors here observe in a note, that Dr Schreibers, aware of the im- 

 perfection of his former description, had lately resumed the subject, and applied 

 himself not less to study the habits than the internal structure of the Proteus. 

 Uninformed of his intentions, the authors had transmitted to him at Vienna a 

 copy of their plates^ with the accompanying explanations, and a request that he 

 would favour them with his opinion of their labours, and his advicej where it 

 might appear to him that they had been mistaken. With a liberality that does 

 him great honour, he replied, " Since you have anticipated me, continue the 

 work you have so well begun : when the work shall be published, L will cause a 

 translation of it to be made into our language, under my own eyes,, and as I have 

 procured very many of these animals, with the view of instructing myself on 

 various points, I shall be able to add to the translation not a few observations, and 

 perhaps some plates." The authors observe, that they announce, with great 

 satisfaction to zoologists, this intended translation of their work, and the addi- 

 tions it is destined to receive. The fame of Sig. Schreibers renders it unneces- 

 sary for them to say more ; they add only, that he has devoted many years to 

 {his subject, and sacrificed more than 100 protei to his learned researcheSo 



