268 BATRACHIA. 



Genus PROTEUS. 



Body long, slender, rounded, without warts or tubercles, 

 the sides slightly farrowed transversely ; head prolonged, 

 depressed in front; snout truncated; eyes not visible; 

 nostrils apparent on the outside, but not communicating 

 with the interior of the mouth ; teeth in both jaws, and 

 two long rows on the palate ; body almost twice as long 

 as the tail, which is compressed, very thin near the ex- 

 tremity, its edges consisting of a membrane ; legs slender, 

 four in number ; fore- and hind-legs very far apart, the 

 former with four toes, the latter with only two, and these 

 merely rudimentary. Only one species known. 



Proteus anguinus. 



Proteus anguinus, Dtjm. et Bib. vol. ix. p. 186. 

 Hypochton anguinus, Schinz, Europ. Faun. vol. ii. p. 57. 

 Dear Olm, Germany. 



Desceiption. — This singular animal is described as re- 

 sembling an Eel with legs, so much is its body elongated ; 

 the muzzle is long and depressed, both jaws are furnished 

 with teeth ; the tongue is free in front ; the eyes extremely 

 small, and covered by the skin, through which they are 

 with difficulty discerned as round black spots ; the powers 

 of sight must be very feeble, if they exist at all. Besides 

 the internal lungs, there are three feathered gills on each 

 side of the posterior portion of the head of a bright red, 

 when the animal has been for some time in the dark. The 

 skin is smooth, either whitish or flesh-coloured. 



Entire length, from 10 inches to 1 foot. The diameter 

 seldom exceeds 1 inch. 



Lives altogether in water, but comes to the surface 

 from time to time to breathe. Those kept by M. Du- 

 meril for three or four years, were fed entirely upon earth- 



