OBSERVATIONS 



ON THE 



NATURAL HISTORY AND STRUCTURE 



OE THE 



PROTEUS ANGUINUS. 



By Sig. CONFIGLIACHI and Dr RUSCONI. 



A. HE Proteus Anguinus is an animal that has much excited 

 the curiosity of zoologists, and many points in its natural histo- 

 ry and anatomy still remain undecided. Of late this animal 

 has been examined with far greater minuteness, and under much 

 more favourable circumstances than heretofore, by two Italian 

 naturalists of distinguished ability ; and the results of their la- 

 bours have been given to the world in a work, entitled, " Del 

 Proteo Angumo di Laurenti Monografia, publicata da Pietro 

 Con/igUachi, Prqfessore Ordinario di Fisica nella Imperiale 

 Regia Universitd di Pavia, e da Mauro Rusconi, Dottore in 

 Medicina e Publico Ripetltore di Fisiologia.'''' — Pavia^ 1819. 

 This work is illustrated by excellent engravings, from most ac- 

 curate drawings by Dr Rusconi himself; and as only a few co- 

 pies of it have yet reached this country, perhaps an abridged 

 account of the labours of these ingenious naturalists, which have 

 so much contributed to clear up the doubts respecting this sin- 

 gular animal, may not be unacceptable to such as take an inte- 

 rest in such subjects, and have not the opportunity of consult- 

 ing the original work. 



It appears that the first knowledge of this animal Avas com- 

 municated to the public by Dr Laurenti, in his Synopsis Rep- 

 tilium, about the year 1768. A fuller description of it was pu- 

 bHshed by Dr Scopoli in 1772 ; and in the new edition of the 

 Syitema Naturtt of Linnaeus, edited by Ginelin, ncjlice is taken 



