THE RANK OF NECTURUS AMONG TAILED 



BATRACHIA. 1 



B. F. KINGSBURY. 



During the years 1901 1903, I had the opportunity of ex- 

 amining in the Anatomisches Institut of Freiburg i/B., a large 

 number of series through the head of Ncctiirns, Spelerpcs (larval 

 and adult) and Desmognathus (larval and adult). I was im- 

 mediately struck by the very close resemblance between the 

 larval Spelerpcs and Necturus, and drew up the following table, 

 which it seems to me possesses sufficient value to warrant its 

 publication with brief comments. I have rendered it more com- 

 plete by including in the comparison other forms which must 

 necessarily be considered in this connection, /. e., Axolotl, Siren, 

 Typhlomolge. Proteus of course agrees with Nectiirus in all 

 essential points. In addition to information gained from speci- 

 mens, I have made use of the papers of Wiedersheim, 2 Parker, 3 

 Cope' and Stejneger. 5 Especially valuable will be further in- 

 formation as to the cranial characters of Typhlomulge. Further 

 work on the cranial anatomy of Siren and the Axolotl would 

 also be important for such a comparison as the following. 



Many, perhaps most of the facts presented below are already 

 known but I think their significance is not sufficiently recognized. 



1 I shall use the term " Urodele " and " Urodela," as synonymous with " tailed 

 Amphibian" in this paper, although I realize that such a usage is not quite correct. 



2 77. Wiedersheim, K., "Das Kopfskelet der Urndelen.," Morph. JaJnb., Bd. 

 II I., pp. 352-548. 



3 '77. Parker, \V. K , "On the Structure and Development of the Skull in the 

 Urcdelous Amphibia," Ft. I., Philos. Trans. Roy. Soc., Vol. 167, Pt. 2. 



'&2<7. Ibid., " On the structure and Development of the Skull in the Urodeles," 

 Trans. Zoo/, ^oc. London, Vol. XI., pp. 171-214. 



'82t>. /'/</., ''On the Morphology of the Skull in the Amphibia Urodela," 

 Trans. Linn. Soc., Ser. 2, Vol. II. 



4 Cope, E. D., "The Batrachia of North America," Bull. U. S. Nat' 1. Mitsetim 

 No. 34, 1889. 



5 Stejneger, L. , "Description of a New Genus and Species of Blind Tailed 

 Batrachian from the Subterranean Waters of Texas," Proc. U. S. Nafl. Museum, 

 Vol. XXVIII. 



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