370 
ORDERS OF AMPHIBIANS— TAILED AMPHIBIANS 
The Congo “Snake,” or Eel-like Salaman- 
der, 1 is in many ways related to the foregoing 
species, but in external appearance it seems 
widely different. In appearance it looks like a 
blunt-nosed, wide-mouthed eel, with a tiny pair 
of legs close behind its head, and another pair 
about four-fifths of the way back to the end of its 
tail. Even in a small aquarium tank, in a well- 
lighted reptile house, these tiny legs are so thread- 
like and so short they are seldom noticed save by 
those who know they are present, and look spe- 
cially for them. The absurd little feet on these 
ridiculous legs have but three toes, and the 
wonder is that such useless or “aberrant” ap- 
pendages have not long since disappeared alto- 
gether. 
The color of the Eel-like Salamander is a uni- 
form gray-brown, and its length when adult is 
usually about two feet. There is a gill opening 
on each side of the neck, and there are four in- 
ternal gill-arches. There are no external gills. 
FREE-GILLED SALAMANDERS. 
Proteidae. 
This very small Family contains only three 
genera, with but one species in each. One of 
these, the 01 in’ of Europe, is recognizable at 
sight by its general eel-like appearance, its tiny 
legs far apart (like the Congo “Snake”), and the 
big bunch of external gill-branches waving on 
each side of the neck, close to the head. This 
animal is totally blind, and is found only in the 
caverns of the Alps. 
The Mud-Puppy, or Menobranchus 3 , bears 
a strong external resemblance to the Hellbender, 
but is readily distinguished from the latter by 
the conspicuous mass of external gill-branches 
with which the animal fans the water at every 
breath. It inhabits many of the rivers of Ohio, 
Pennsylvania, Indiana, the Great Lakes and 
northern New York, and is often taken in fisher- 
men’s nets. 
THE MENOBRANCHUS, OR MUD-PUPPY 
These creatures inhabit the muddy streams and 
stagnant waters of our southeastern states, and 
are in the habit of burying themselves in the mud, 
sometimes to a surprising depth. They feed 
upon every form of aquatic animal life which is 
small enough to be seized and swallowed — in- 
sects, worms, crustaceans, shell-fish and even 
small fishes. In the South they are occasionally 
found in the ditches which irrigate the rice-fields. 
1 Am-phi-u'ma means. 
The Subterranean Protean 
of Texas. — Very recently a 
rather startling discovery was 
made in Texas, near San Marcos. 
From the bottom of an artesian 
well 188 feet deep, there came 
up with the water several blind 
Proteans, colorless and white, 
which up to that time had lived 
only in the subterranean streams 
and pools of the earth’s crust, 
and were quite unknown. Along 
with them came four new species 
of Crustacea (crab-like creatures) ; 
and doubtless it was upon those 
that the Proteans lived. Unfort- 
unately, thus far those who re- 
ceived the new amphibians did 
not succeed in inducing them 
to eat, and none have survived. 
The species has been christened Typh-lo-mol'ge 
rath'bun-i. 
THE TWO-LEGGED SALAMANDERS. 
Sirenidae. 
Near the foot of the Class Amphibia, we find 
the Two-Legged Salamanders, of which there 
are only two species, both American. Both look 
2 Pro'te-us an-guin' e-us . 
3 Nec-tu'rus mac-u-la'tus. 
