5 
But neither the planters nor the negroes meet with 
any large animals of the extensive order of Lacertae, 
if we except the common Crocodyle of the country, 
of which it is not necessary to say, that the Siren 
cannot be the larva. It may not be amiss to add, 
in this place, that as our largest species of salaman- 
ders* are scarcely less ready to take the hook, when 
it is baited with fresh meat, worms, &c. than the 
eel and other species of fish, we can hardly conceive 
it possible, that the supposed imago of the Siren 
should, for more than a century, have completely 
eluded all observation, if such an animal did really 
exist. 
I am aware, that you may not consider this as alto- 
gether a correct or philosophical mode of reasoning, 
on this subject. You will perhaps, say, that the 
larvae of some of the Amphibia arc sometimes much 
larger than the imago, or perfect animal, which suc- 
ceeds to them. I will, for a moment, admit this to 
be fiequently the case. But I think you will not 
deem it very probable, that the Sirens, which are 
often from twenty to thirty, or even thirty- six and 
forty inches in length, are the mere larvous repre- 
sentatives, or precursors, of salamanders, whose 
greatest length is not more than eight, ten, or twelve 
inches. 
I must not, however, conceal from you, that we 
have discovered, in the great lakes of our country, in 
the waters of the Ohio and Susquehanna, and in 
other parts of the United States, a very large species 
of Salamander, which bears a considerable resem 
* Salamandra horrida, See. 
