96 THE WANDERINGS OF ANIMALS [OH. 



Asiatic and North American with closest affinity 

 between the two last. North America contains the 

 greatest number of diverse forms, including members 

 of every sub-family, Plethodonts being the most 

 numerous. Asia is richest in Amblystomatinae ; 

 Europe is characterised by tritons and salamanders. 

 Significant is the occurrence of Cryptobrcmchus, the 

 'Giant Salamander,' in Japan, Manchuria, Eastern 

 U.S.A. and fossil in European Miocene, and with 

 close relations in the Oligocene. One kind of Ambly- 

 stoma lives in China, all the other species of this 

 genus in North America, e.g. A. tigrimmi, which in 

 certain Mexican lakes breeds as the famous axolotl. 

 The Plethodont genus Spelerpes has many species in 

 America, from Canada to South America, including 

 Antilles, and one solitary species in the Riviera and 

 in Corsica ! The nearest relation of the blind Proteus 

 in caves of Istria is the Necturus of the American 

 lakes. In the Old World the southern progress of 

 newts has been barred by the great belt of deserts 

 and the Mediterranean, there being none in Africa 

 and India, but many in China, whence at least one 

 has extended into Siam and Burmah. The oldest 

 Urodela occur in the Belgian Wealden, related to the 

 American mud-eel, Amphiuma. 



The tailless amphibians, Anura, are quite cosmo- 

 politan. Their oldest remains are scanty, from the 

 Upper Jurassic of Wyoming and Spain. With the 



