122 MENOBRANCHUS LATERALIS. 



it in the museum of Professor Helwigg, at Brunswick — that it came from Lake 

 Champlain — that it was reputed as poisonous by the fishermen, &:c. &c., though 

 he regards it as a species of Siren. 



This animal is next mentioned in the work of Daudin,* who very erroneously 

 considers it as the young or larva of the Menopoma alleghaniensis. 



Dr. Mitchell next gave a very good description of it in Silliman's Journal, under 

 the name "Proteus of the lakes." 



Say considered it as a Triton, and first applied to it the specific name laterahs, 

 from the black vitta along the side of the head and body. The name is well 

 enough for the western animal, but is certainly very inappropriate to the same 

 animal found in the great northern lakes, which wants the dark vitta entirely, its 

 place being supplied with large dusky spots, such as in the individual described 

 by Schneider. This difference of arrangement of the colours, as well as the 

 difference in geographical distribution, makes a well marked variety, named by 

 some "maculatus," yet it is doubtless the same animal, and must be described 

 under the same name, though not perfectly appropriate. 



Since Say's description of the animal, Mr. Barnes, aided by Professor Benedict, 

 has published an accurate and highly interesting account of the Proteus lateralis.! 



ad oculorum lineam verticalem: labia piscium labiis similia: pedes dissiti quatuor, tetradactyli 

 omnes, absque unguiculis: ani rima in longitudinem patet: Branchiae utrinque ternae extus 

 propendent, appositae superne totidem arcubus cartilagineis, quorum latus internum tubercula 

 cartilaginea, velut in piscium genere, exasperant, &c. &c. 



* Hist. Nat. des Rept., tom. viii. p. 271. 



t Vide Amer. Jour. Arts and Scien., as referred to above. 



END OF THE THIRD VOLUME. 



