37 
to a point; and one ( Pipa ) is remarkable for room ix. 
its flattened shape, and for the manner in which 
the female carries her young in cavities, or little 
cells, on her back. The Salamanders ( Sala - 
mandrel), and Efts ( Triton ), follow the Toads : 
amongst them are the European species, ab¬ 
surdly supposed formerly, to be insensible to 
the action of fire; also several American species, 
as the Amphiuma, which is thought never to 
have any gills, though it probably loses them at 
a very early age. At the end of these are placed 
the curious animals which Dr. Shaw called 
Dubious Amphibia, appearing to unite the am¬ 
phibia with the fishes, and accordingly they 
have been placed in both classes by various 
authors. These animals retain their gills during 
the whole of their life, and are therefore capable 
of living equally well on land or in water; 
amongst these are the Axolotl of the Mexicans, 
which in all respects resembles the larva of the 
Common eft (the Menobranchus) from America, 
and the Proteus from the caverns of Carniola, 
an animal that never voluntarily approaches the 
light of day, and whose eyes are so excessively 
small, and hidden by the skin, as to make it 
appear to be absolutely destitute of those organs. 
A wax model, from a living healthy specimen 
of this animal, is placed near it, to shew the 
form of its lungs when not contracted by spirits. 
In 
