William Henry Swift, of Massachusetts, was of mixed Puritan and Huguenot stock. His father was an army surgeon, and a brother, General Joseph Gardner Swift, was the first graduate of West Point. William himself entered the military academy when but thirteen years of age (1813), and as his class graduated during his absence on Long's expedition, he was, under date of July 1, 1819, promoted to a lieutenancy in the artillery corps. The map of the country explored by the expedition was prepared by him. His later career was notable—he was engaged especially on coast improvements, fortifications, railroads, and canals; to him more than to any one else is attributed the success of the Illinois and Michigan canal. His collection of papers relative to the latter was, upon his death, presented to the Chicago Historical Society.—Ed.
[002] Allegheny arsenal is on the Pittsburg side of Allegheny River, opposite the upper end of McCullough's Island. The grounds lie between Thirty-ninth and Fortieth streets. The site was purchased in 1814; a wall inclosing the grounds was completed in 1829. The arsenal was for many years used in the manufacture of war materials, a force of twelve hundred men being employed there during the War of Secession. Since 1868 it has been used as a military post, and as a quartermaster's depot. There were recently (1904) discovered there the principal documents relating to the equipment of the Lewis and Clark expedition, which was largely outfitted therefrom.—Ed.
[003] Caprimulgus vociferus.—James.
[004] Triton lateralis. Say.—Body and extremity above brown, with irregular black spots; tail much compressed, subacutely edged above and beneath, lanceolate; a black vitta from the nostrils passes through the eyes, and is dilated on the sides, and becomes obsolete on the tail; a vertebral indented line, from the neck to the origin of the caudal carina, more faintly indented on the head; head somewhat rectilineary attenuated from the anterior branchia, to the vicinity of the nostril, and truncate or subemarginate before; nostrils minute; eyes very small, whitish, crossed with the lateral line of the head; beneath pale flesh-colour; chin and jaws to the branchia, and tail from the posterior feet, with the exception of the areola of the anus, coloured like the back; mouth moderate, angles beneath the eyes; lips covering the jaws freely, inferior lip with a duplicature each side, which is white and covered by the superior lip; tongue free, fleshy, rounded, extending beyond the angles of the mouth; teeth, lower jaw in a single row, obtusely conic, small, rather distant; a few smaller ones near the angle, elevated on a slightly prominent portion of the jaw; superior jaw, with a double series of teeth similar to the others, but rather smaller, an unarmed depression corresponding with the elevation in the lower jaw, and a few elevated teeth nearer the angle; throat with a duplicated cuticle; branchiæ permanent. Legs short, weak, four-toed.
Total length 10 inches, from the tip of the nose to the vent, 6½ inches.
We caught this animal with the hook and line in the neighbourhood of Pittsburgh, but it is by no means so common there as the Salamandra Alleghaniensis of Michaux, or young alligator.
The colour above is in reality pale, but it is rendered of a brownish appearance by the very numerous confluent points of that colour, which nearly cover the surface of the body; branchia bright red; peduncles colour of the body. Daudin informs us, that Schneider, in his history of Amphibia, describes an animal very similar to this, found in Lake Champlain, and which Daudin supposes to be the larva of Triton Alleghaniensis; Daudin, however, is of the opinion, that the hind feet were mutilated, from the circumstance of their having only four toes.
The late Professor B. S. Barton had heard of this animal, and from the account he received, was led to regard it as a Siren.
Finally, Dr. Mitchell has autoptically described the animal, in the 4th vol. of Silliman's Journal, as a Proteus.
Not supposing the lateralis to belong, strictly speaking, to either of these genera, and with a view to ascertain its real nature, we obtained permission from the Academy of Natural Science, to open a specimen belonging to their cabinet, and which was brought from the Ohio by Mr. J. Speakman. The result corresponded with our most confident expectations, showing that the number of its vertebræ is greatly inferior to that of the Proteus, and corresponding with that of the Tritons; and that the pseudo ribs were in an entire series, somewhat superior in proportional length and perfection of form to those of the Proteus, and resembling those of the Triton. It has, therefore, a far more close alliance with the genus Triton, than with any other yet established.