CLASSIFICATION 



The evolution of an adequate classification of the Amphibia 



lias been a long process. Even their recognitioii as a class, 

 separate from, and of e(|ual rank with that of, the Eeptilia, was 

 by no means generally accepted until comparatively recent times. 

 A historical sketch of the laborious, often painful, striving for 

 light, in France and Germany, then in England, and lastly in 

 America, is not without interest. 



Till* term Amphibia was invented l)y Linnaeus for the third chiss of animals 

 in his famous " Systema Naturae." It comprises a very queer assembly, 

 which, even in the 13tli edition (1767), stands as follows: — 



1. Reptiles pedati, with the four "genera" Tedudo, L)7-aro, Lacerta, 

 and liana. Lacerta includes Crocodiles, Lizards, and Xewts ! 



2. Serpentes apode.s. 



3. Nantes pinnati. Elasmobranchs, Sturgeous, Lamjireys, and various 

 other hshes. 



Laurenti, 1768, in a dissertation entitled " Sjjecimen medicum, e.xhibens 

 Synopsin Reptilium . . .," uses Brisson's terni, Reptiles, and divides 

 them into : — 



Reptilia salientia, these are the Anura. 

 Gradientia, namely the Urodela and Lizards. 

 Serpentia, the Snakes and the Apoda. 



Brongniart, 1800, " Essay d'une classification naturelle des Reptiles,"^ dis- 

 tinguishes : — 



Chelonii, Safrii, Ophidii, Batrachii ; the last for the Frogs, Toads, 

 and Newts. 



Latreille, 1804, " Nouveau Did. Hist. Nat." xxiv.,- accepts the four Orders of 

 Brongniart's " Reptiles," but clearly separates the fouith Order, 

 " Batrachii,'"' from the rest by the following, now time-honoured, 

 diagnosis: Doigts des 2)atte!< n'aijant pan d'ongles ; des branrhies, du 

 onoins pendant un temps; des me'tamorphoses. But there is not one 

 word about " Aniphil)ia " in opposition to " Reptilia." 



Dunu'i'il, 1806, " Zoologie analytique " (p. 90), and "Elemens de I'histoire 

 naturelle,' 1807, divides the "Reptiles batraciens," oi' " Batracii," into 

 Ecaudati and Caudati ; he also introduces the terms " Anoures " 

 and "Urudeles" as their eciuivalents ; ])ut since these terms appear in 

 the French form purists (l(j not admit theii- having any claim to 

 lecognition I 



Oppel, 1811, "Die Ordnungen, Familien und Gattungen der Reptilien," 

 establishes the term ApoDA for the Coeciliae, and recognises their 

 atlinity to the Ecaudata and Caudata by removing them from the 

 Snakes. 



De lilainville, 1816, " Riodi'ome d'une nouvelle distribution du regne 



animal " ■' — 



Amphibiens sQUAMiFkREs. [The Reptilia.] 



NUDiPELLipfeRES s. Ichthyoides. [The Amphibia.] 



^ Bull. Soc. Philom. ii. ]>. 8L ^ Tableaux methodiqties, [>. *il. 



3 Bull. Soc. Philom. p. 113. 



