44 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 
Color nearly white, semitransparent, the upper surface densely 
sprinkled with minute pale gray dots.” 
The most striking characteristics of those here mentioned are the 
small, functionless, subcutaneous eyes, the white, slightly iridescent 
skin, reminding one of the integument of Proteus, the extreme 
length and slenderness of the limbs and the great size of the head 
as compared with that of the body. The first two make it evident 
at first sight that the animals are cave dwellers, but to quote again 
from Stejneger, “their extraordinary proportions, absolutely unique 
in the order to which they belong, suggest unusual conditions of 
life, which alone can have produced such profound differences.” 
Before giving this description, Stejneger says that he intends 
“later to present, in conjunction with Mr. F. A. Lucas, a detailed 
description of the anatomy and an elaborate comparison with allied 
forms,” but as eight years have elapsed since the preliminary descrip¬ 
tion was published, it may not seem discourteous to presume that 
the idea has been given up. 
In addition to the external characteristics given above, I should 
mention that there are three gill slits present in Typhlomolge : one 
between the hyoid and the first branchial arch, one between the first 
and second branchial arches, and one between the second and third 
branchial arches. The external gills persist even in the sexually 
mature animals, a fact which, “in conjunction with the affinity of 
the species to other forms known to have persistent gills throughout 
life, makes it absolutely certain that we have to do with an adult 
and final animal ” (Stejneger). In view of these external charac¬ 
teristics and after a brief study of a rough skeleton, Stejneger 
classifies Typhlomolge as belonging to the superfamily Proteoideae, 
which embraces Proteus and Necturus, but after careful examination 
of two specimens of Typhlomolge and comparison of them with 
various other Urodelous forms, I am of the opinion that this view 
must be changed. 
The two specimens which I had for study were preserved in four 
percent formalin and were in very good condition for dissection and 
sectioning, although they were not very satisfactory for histological 
work. The smaller of the specimens had been partially dissected in 
the hyoid region and one of the fore limbs had been removed 
before it came into my hands. It was therefore impossible to make 
out certain details. The small specimen was used for the study of 
