92 



AMPHIUMA MEANS. 



of Linnaeus with other Naturalists," in which is contained the letter of Garden 

 describing the Amphiuma means. 



The next account, so far as I know, of our animal, may be seen in the work 

 of Rusconi, an Italian naturalist, "Amours des Salamandres Aquatiques," and is 

 but an extract of a letter from Dr. Pockels, of Brunswick. Pockels observed it 

 in the Hunterian Museum, and supposed it to be the Siren lacertina in its perfect 

 state,* and as such sent a description and drawing of it to Rusconi, which agree 

 perfectly with the Amphiuma means, and not at all with the Siren lacertina. It 

 must be remembered, that most naturalists of that period, considered the Siren 

 lacertina as the larva of some large and unknown Salamander. 



■&" 



Dr. Harlan, in the third volume of the Journal of the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences of Philadelphia, published some interesting remarks on the anatomy of 

 the Amphiuma means, and says that he never saw the slightest appearance of 

 gills even in specimens that did not exceed three inches in length. 



To Cuvier we are, however, indebted for the best account of the anatomy of 

 this animal, and he clearly proves that it cannot be the Siren lacertina in any 

 stage of development whatever, its organization is so entirely dissimilar. 



The Amphiuma means is known to the negroes with us under the name of 

 Congo Snake, and is regarded, without the slightest appearance of truth, as 

 exceedingly venomous. 



* J'ai clccouvcrt un fait selon moi tres-interessant; j'ai vu dans lc Museum Hunterien une 

 Sirenc lacertina avec les rudiments des pieds de derriere, &c. &c. Rusconi, loc. cit., p. 11. 



