D r. J. E. Gray on Urodele Batrachians, aw^ Trigonophrys. 355 



Gray, Catalogue, 1850. Dr. Hallowell's Paper, 1858. 



Tribe C. Desmognathina = IX. Hemidactylidoi. 



6. Desmognathus, Baird = Plethodon, sp. 



7. Hemidaetylium = Hemidactyliurn. 

 Tribe D. (Edipina = V. Bolitoglossidoe. 



8. Batrachoseps = Batrachoseps. 



9. Spelerpes = Spelerpes. 

 Pseudotriton = Pseudotriton. 



10. Geotriton = Geotriton. 



1 1 . CEdipus, from Mexico 1 



Tribe E. Ensatinina > Not noticed by Dr. Hallowell. 



Ensatina, from California J 



I think the above list establishes beyond a doubt the identity 

 of my tribes and Dr. HallowelPs subfamilies. 



I know that some authors, who are great sticklers for the 

 synonyma of genera, and profess to be very anxious to give the 

 first establisher of the genus the honour of its establishment, do 

 not quote the synonyma of the families and other larger groups; 

 but as it certainly requires a larger power of analysis to form good 

 natural groups of genera than to form genera, especially since 

 it has become the habit to make almost every species a genus, it is 

 certainly more important to the history of science, and but justice 

 to the higher class of scientific labourers, that the history of the 

 groups should be shortly and distinctly given, — more especially 

 as the faculty of success in characterizing such groups appears 

 to be a rare talent possessed by few. It is the possession of this 

 talent that gives the high character to the works of Jussieu, 

 Lamarck, Brown, and Macleay. 



Dr. Hallowell, I suppose from not having seen the animal, or 

 probably even a figure of it, places the large Japan "Salamander,^' 

 Tritomegas Sieboldi, in Tritonidcs, between Euproctus and Ta- 

 richa, to which it has not the most distant relation either in 

 external form, form of tongue, or position of teeth ; this genus, 

 on the other hand, is so nearly allied in all these characters to 

 the American genus Protonopsis as to be with difficulty separated 

 from it. 



It is much to be regretted that authors like Dr. Hallowell 

 should not quote others correctly ; thus he states, " Gray ob- 

 serves, that it {Triton nydhemerus) is perhaps a young of T, 

 marmoratus or Triton cristatus.*' I have not given such an 

 opinion, as I have never seen the animal; but in page 23 of the 

 Catalogue I quote M. Bonaparte's opinion thus : — " Is perhaps 

 the young of T. marmorata or T. cristata (Bonap. Amph. 

 Eur).'' 



In the same Part of the Journal of the Academy Dr. Hallo- 

 well describes and figures as a new genus and species, a Frog, in 

 the Museum of the Academy, under the name of Trigonophrys 



23* 



