The morning journal-courier., 1908-02-24
HE MORNING JOURNAL COURIER, MONDAY, FEBRUARY

it is true, procure a real salamander for the purpose, but he operated upon large spiders; and the result. contrary to his expectations. rather favored the idea of their being inured against fire. One of them placed upon a red-hot iron remained there a long time without stirring or seeming to feel the heat: another, that was urged toward a light. extinguished it. as if it had been blown out At much later pe riod than the time of Albertue-so re- gently. indeed, as the days of Newton. Milton and Moliere-the Journal des Scavants describes the decisive experi- ments which were made at Rome upon a salamander that had been brought from India Placed upon i brisk fire. it swelled up, and from ifs body dropped liquid which extin- guished the charcoal constantly relit. was constantly put out in the same manner during two continuous hours, and at the end of that time the sala- mander was withdrawn from the flames and lived nine months after wards" Father Hardouin, who com ments on this adventure, expresses his regret that the animal which stood fire so we'll was not fully described.
 But. while on the subject of credul ity, one need not go further back than the last century for an example. tn der the head of Amphibia in Charles Knights English Cyclopedia is the fol- lowing statement: "A French consul at Rhodes Gin 1ST0) relates that while sitting in his chamber there, he heard a loud cry in his kitchen. whith- CT he ran, and found his cook in horrible fright. who informed him that he had seen the devil in the fire. Ponthonier'' Che consult then states that he looked into a bright fire, and there saw a little animal with open mouth and palptating throat He took the tongs and endeavored to remove it. At his first attempt the animal which he says had been motionless up to that time (two or three minutes). ran into corner of the chimney, having lost the tip of it's tail in escaping. and buried itself in heap of hot ashes. In his second attempt the consul was successful drew the animal out. which he describes as sort of small lizard. plunged it into spirit and gave 1t to Buffon"
 How the salamander is produced seems to be puzzle to learned Pliny, for he describes 1t as being barren His proof, however, is not very con elusive. There is,' he says, mo more distinction of sex in them than in yeeles, and in all those That neither lay eggs, ne vet bring forth any liv- ing creature. Oisters, likewise, and all such creatures as cleave fast eith- CT to the rockes or to the shelves. are neither male nor female" Yet we have all heard of the oyster crossed in | love.
 Plinys own statement is worth giv- ing: "Of all yenomous beasts there are not any so hurtful and dangerous as are the salamanders. As for other serpents, hey can hurt but one at once, neither kill they many together; to say nothing how when they have stung or bitten a man. they die for verie griefe and sorrow that they have done such a mischiefe as if they had some pricke and remorse of consci- ence afterwards. and never enter they againe into earthe. as cnworthy to he received there" Imagine the consc,- ence and humility of viper, an adder or a cobra di capella,
 The salamander, however. has none | of this tenderness of conscience: he is not only able but willing to destroy whole nations at a time aad numerous examples, similar to those cited by Glanvil, are given. But there is com pensation for all things; the poison of the salamander is dispeled 5y <ing an infusion of cantharides, An1 thr 1 flesh of lizards proves an antila.a: new wine in the lees is also recom- mended and so is new milk. The salamandrine poison is not, therefore. so formidable as at first sight 1t ap- pears. and one particular fact Is no- ticeable-swine feed on salamanders with impunty Whenever they meet with these creatures they go. as 1t were, the whole hog, and find them selves none the worse for their ban quet.
 Would you like to know what the | OancienO salamander resembles Take Plny's description: Made in fashion of a lizard, marked with spots like stars, he never comes abroad and sheweth himself but in great showres; He is Of so cold complexion that fl he do but touch the fire Ne will quench it as presently as if ice were put into it. The salamander cas eth up at the mouth a certane venemous matter like mike; let 1t but once touch any part of mans or woman. body, all the hare will fall off, ant the part so touched will change tn, color of the skinne to the white nor phew'
 As metaphysical agentS, the sala.
 manders occupy a remarkable posi-
 tion In the cabalistic romance of l., Comte de Gabalis by the Abbe de Vil
 lars. we find them figuring. in con junction with the gnomes. nymphs ant sylphides. among the viewless spirit.
 of air who wait on Natures mischief
 It is chiefly by their alliances witt
 mankind that the salamanders hay,
 rendered themselves illustrio1s. al
 the demigods were descended frtii
 them. and many other impor aF. per
 sonages. including Zor5astcr, who Wa
 the son of the salamander oronasis
 by Nesta. the wife of Noal, Who. hay