a kind of imaginary beings belonging rather to the physico-philosophical systems of the Cabalists than to the mythology of any particular people. They were supposed to inhabit fire as their proper element, as the Undines made their home in water; and this idea probably gave rise to the notion that the amphibious, lizard-like reptiles of the species which are dotted with black, yellow, or red spots are likewise able to resist the destructive power of fire.