THE PROTEUS OF EUROPE. Qd 



give no adequate idea of them to the general reader^ we 

 shall here briefly notice their general structure and 

 habits. These constitute Mr. Bell's order Amphi- 

 pneurta. 



(100.) The Phylhydrus pisciformis of Brooks is 

 sometimes designated by the barbarous and unutterable 

 name of Axolotl, given to it by the Mexican Indians. 

 We shall term it the Mexican siren, since it obviously 

 belongs to the same group as that of America, or it 

 may be called the axolot. This singular animal is 

 abundant in the lakes close to the city of Mexico, but 

 its habits, we believe, have never been detailed. In its 

 general form it perfectly resembles the young or tadpole 

 of the aquatic salamander. It has four feet, the first 

 pau* with five, the hinder with four, toes on each. Its 

 colour is deep greyish black, which, with the three 

 long gills on each side, divided into tufts of filaments, 

 gives it a most repulsive and forbidding aspect. It is, 

 however, perfectly harmless, and seldom exceeds seven 

 or eight inches in length. We believe Dr. Shaw was 

 its first describer, but both Humboldt and Home have 

 given additional figures and descriptions of it. 



(101.) The Menohranchus of North America, if we 

 mistake not, is another of the important discoveries of 

 Dr. Harlan. It inhabits the lakes and large rivers of 

 North America, growing to the length of two feet, and 

 it is said to be carnivorous and gluttonous. It has four 

 feet, and the same number of toes upon each, but is 

 without claws. To this species (^M. lateralis^ Dr. Har- 

 lan adds another, called by Lacepede Froteus teti^adac- 

 tylus: he also considers the Mexican siren as belong- 

 ing to this genus*, vievv^ing it as an aberrant example. 

 The genus Proteus is represented by a single species, 

 which is one of the most extraordinary animals of Eu- 

 rope. Its general form is much like the American type 

 last described; but it has only three toes on the fore 

 feet, and tv/o behind : the feet are very small, and the 



♦ See Tran?. of Am. Soc. v. S'.'-J. 



