NO EYES, AND MULTIPLE EYES 207 
are furnished with miniature toes, those upon 
the fore-feet being three in number, while 
only two are present upon the hind limbs. 
The skin is quite smooth and normally of a 
pale flesh tint, but if the creature be kept 
in captivity and be exposed to light for some 
time, the skin ultimately assumes a slightly 
mottled appearance due to a dark-coloured 
pigment that is present in the body rising to 
the surface. A number of grooves or indenta¬ 
tions are present upon the sides of the body, 
and a bunch of feather-like and bright red 
gills or branchiae arises from either side of the 
head ; while to add to its peculiarities its eyes 
are entirely concealed beneath the skin and 
only revealed externally by minute dots. 
The proteus possesses both gills and lungs, 
and is therefore able to make use of a double 
means of respiration. As a rule, however, the 
animal spends its time in the depths of the 
subterranean waters and extracts the oxygen 
held therein with the aid of its gills, but 
occasionally it will rise to the surface and 
inflate its lungs with air taken direct from the 
atmosphere. 
It is also curious in the fact that the female 
sometimes brings forth its young in a living 
and active condition, while at other times she 
lays eggs from which the larvae hatch out. 
