Observations on Amphiuma. 317 
small school satchel and carried to the State Geologist’s office, a mile 
away, with two empty fruit jars lying on her. That night she was 
kept in an empty boot-box. This was some eighteen inches in 
height, and from it she made efforts to escape. She would erect 
herself in one corner until her head was on a level with the edge 
of the box, but she could get no further. Once in falling down 
she uttered a shrill sound somewhat like a whistle or the peeping of 
a young chicken. A cry like that of a young duck has been attrib- 
uted by some observer to the Siren, but Barton in some of his writ- 
ings denies the statement that such a sound is made. 
The limbs of these animals are very small. For instance, of this 
one, having a length of thirty-one inches, the hinder limbs are 
only three-fourths of an inch long, the anterior only one-half an 
inch. Yet, when it was moving over the ground or the floor, it 
was amusing to observe that its feet were put forward and drawn 
back, as if they really could be of some use. 
On irritating this Amphiume by pushing her with a stick she 
would snap at it viciously, and on further irritation would seize it 
in her jaws and, springing from the floor in the form of a spiral, 
would turn rapidly round and round, thus twisting the stick in 
one’s hand. Any enemy thus attacked would certainly find his 
interest in the affair fully aroused. 
There are two points in the structure of the adult to which I 
wish to call attention; although no doubt they have already been 
observed by anatomists. The first is that there isa little lobe of 
skin forming the anterior boundary of the gill-opening, and another 
forming the posterior border. These can be very closely applied to 
each other, and seem to form a very efficient valvular apparatus, by 
means of which this useless relic of its larval life may be closed up. 
The other structure is connected with the mouth. The lower lip 
Is formed of a fold of skin that is separated from the skin of the 
throat by a deep groove that runs from the corner of the mouth to 
hear the symphysis, This fold has a thin sharp edge, and is directed 
downward and outward. The upper lip also has a sharp edge 
Which, when the mouth is closed, widely and closely overlaps the 
lower lip. This arrangement of the lips and that of the gill open- 
‘ng seems to me to have relation to the burrowing habits of these 
animals, and are designed to prevent the mouth and pharynx from 
being filled with mud. 
