312 Zoological Society : — 



plan and Indian regions, and in the Arctic regions is represented only 

 by a few but widely-spread species ; Tropical America and Australia, 

 on the other hand, produce an exceedingly great number of specific 

 forms. Therefore, in speaking of cosmopolitan genera in this paper, 

 I mean those three genera severally with the restrictions mentioned. 

 Such a diiference between the animal life of the New World and 

 that of the Old, as pertains to other parts of the Animal Kingdom, 

 is not to be observed in the Batrachians. Dissimilarity and simi- 

 larity of the Batrachio-fauna depend upon the zones. Palsearctic 

 and Nearctic regions resemble each other more than any third ; the 

 same is the case with Australia and South America ; the iEthiopian 

 region exhibits similarities with South America as well as with the 

 East Indies, but more especially with the latter. 



I. Palcearctic Region. 



Characteristic forms. — PelodyteSy Discoglossus, Algtes, Pelobates, 

 BombinatoVy Salamandray Seiranotay PleurodeSy Bradybates, Ellip- 

 soglossa, Geotriton, Onychodactylus, Triton, EuproctuSy Sieboldia, 

 Proteus *. 



Cosmopolitan genera excepted, we have only one genus common 

 to another region — Polypedates. 



We may assign to this region 1 5 species of tailless Batrachians 

 and 30 of the Urodelay which gives on the average a single species 

 to each 300,000 square miles. The region is distinguished by the 

 production of a part of the tailed Batrachians, a group of the animal 

 kingdom which must be considered peculiar to the Arctic regions 

 both of the New and Old World f ; and although the species of Uro- 

 deles of the New World must be considered as types of different 

 genera, yet the families exhibit representatives in both the regions. 

 Some of the species of Batrachians are known to be extremely local 

 {Pelodytes punctatuSy Pelobates cultripesy Sieboldiay Proteus) ; but 

 other species and genera are spread over the whole space of this 

 region, proving in the most striking manner the natural extent of 

 this primary division. There is not a single tailed Batrachian known, 

 from Tropical Africa ; but north of the Atlas we find Salamandra 

 maculosa and Pleurodes waltliiy both inhabitants of Europe, and also 

 a peculiar species, Euproctus poireti. As far as we know the west- 

 ern parts of Asia, belonging to this region, we meet species of Ba- 

 trachians with all the characters of the true inhabitants of Europe ; 

 and what forms we should find in the centre and in the eastern 

 parts, with a better knowledge of these countries, is easily to be 

 inferred by a glance at the Batrachian fauna of Japan. There we 

 find— 



Rana rugosa. Polypedates schlegelii, Onychodactylus. 



esculenta. Hyla arborea. Triton subcristatus. 



temporaria. Ellipsoglossa. Sieboldia. 



Bufo vulgaris. Geotriton fuscus. 



* Respecting the new denominations, I refer to my • Catalogue of Batrachia 

 Salientia in the Collection of the British Museum.' 



t I quite agree with those naturalists who think the characters of Cacilia and 

 Lepidosiren sufficient for forming separate classes of Fertebrata. 



