102 URODELA chap. 



reached a leugtli of from 68 to 90 ram. (about 3 inches), living 

 in damp localities under rocks or rooted stumps, and have already 

 lost their gills. The legs are said to be relatively longer than 

 they are in the adult. 



Fam. 2. Salamandridae (Salamanders and Newts). — Without 

 gills in the perfect state. Maxillaries are present. Both jaws are 

 furnished with teeth. The eyes are» protected by movable lids, 

 except in Tyijlilotriton. Fore- and hind-lim])s present, although 

 sometimes very much reduced. 



To this family belong by far the greater number of tailed 

 Amphil)ia. They have been, for the sake of convenience, grouped 

 into four sub-families, the determining characters of which are all 

 internal and of comparatively slight importance. Little better is 

 the division into 3fecodonta, with the teeth of the palate in two 

 longitudinal rows diverging behind and inserted upon the inner 

 margins of the two palatine processes, which are much prolonged 

 posteriorly, and Lechriodonta, in which the series of palatal teeth 

 are restricted to the posterior portion of the vomers and form 

 either transverse or posteriorly converging rows. 



I. Series of palatal teeth transverse, restricted to tlie posterior portion 

 of tlie vomers. Paraspli'enoid beset -with dentigerous plates. 

 Vertebrae ojiistliocoelous : Desmognathinae, p. 102. 

 „ aniphicoelous : Plethodontinae, p. 103. 

 II. Series of ])alatal teeth transverse or ^posteriorly converging, restricted 

 to the posterior portion of the \oniers. Parasj^henoid toothless. 

 Vertebrae aniphicoelous : Amblysfomatinae, p. 109. 

 III. Series of palatal teeth in two longitudinal series, diverging behind, 

 inserted on the inner margin of the long palatine processes. 

 Parasjthenoid toothless. Vertebrae aniphicoelous : Salaman- 

 drinae, ]k 11"). 



Sub-Fam. 1. Desmognathinae. — Comprising only three genera, 

 with five species, in North America. Five toes. 



Desmognatlius. — The tongue is attached along the median 

 line, free behind, oval in shape. Three species in the eastern 

 half of the United States. I), fuscus is one of the lungless 

 Urodela, for wliicli condition see ]). 40. The skin is nearly 

 smooth : parotoids pron'iinent, gular fold strongly marked, 

 (leneral colour a])Ove, brown suffused with pink and grey, some- 

 times with a dark lateral band ; under parts mottled brown. The 

 vomerine teeth are frequently absent. Total length, about 4 to 5 

 inches. They live, carefully concealed in the daytime, under 



