THE 



SALAMANDER. 



<*>************************^ 

 Generic Character. 

 Body four-footed, tailed, naked. 



Specific Character. 



LIZARD with cylindric fhortifh tail and un- 

 armed feet ; the fore-feet divided into four 

 toes, the body porous and naked. 



There feems to prevail in the human mind an inhe- 

 rent propenfity to the marvellous. Not contented 

 with the variety of real miracles which Nature through 

 all her kingdoms fo liberally exhibits, the world has 

 long been entertained with the hiftories of ideal wond- 

 ers and imaginary monfters, which never exifted but in 

 the brains of their ftrft defcribers. 



Amongft fceings of this clafs muft be reckoned the 

 large dragons defcribed by the old writers ; the Lamia, 

 defcribed as having the head and breads of a woman, 

 with a body like that of a panther, and covered with 

 fcaies: to this order muft alfo be referred the ideal Sa- 

 lamander of the vulgar ; which is thought capable of 

 Jiving unhurt in the fire. 



Thp real Salamander is nothing more than a fmallifli 

 lizard, which is found very frequently in Germany, 



and 



