CLASSIFICATION. 6 



on that of the ' Erpetologie generale,' and on the views 

 of J. Muller (1832), who overrated the taxonomic 

 importance of the structure of the ear, and inspired 

 the classification followed by Stannius in the ' Zoo- 

 tomie der Amphibien,' published in 1854. 



The faults of the latter classification were further 

 developed by Gunther in 1858 (' Oat. Batr. Sal.'), 

 whose avowedly artificial scheme has been followed by 

 Fatio in 1872 and by De Betta in 1874. 



Cope's epoch-making classification in 1865 (' Nat. 

 Hist. Review'), based on a correct appreciation of 

 the osteological characters, placed the matter on a 

 sound footing, and his groupings, slightly modified 

 in 1867, received confirmation, so far as European 

 genera are concerned, from Lataste's study of the 

 larval characters in 1878 and 1879. In revising the 

 classification in 1882 (' Cat. Batr. Ecaud.') I could 

 introduce but slight improvements to Cope's scheme, 

 as may be seen from the arrangement followed in this 

 work, in which the various groups are placed in 

 ascending order. 



Principal Schemes of Classification. 



1. Dcmeeil and Bibron, 1841, 



Tongue absent : Phrynaglosses. 



Tongue present : f toothed ; 



Phaneroglosses.J digits 



Upper jaw | 



vtootkless 



2. Stannius, 1854. 



§ ("absent : Aglossa. 

 bo | 



s i f absent 



Mpv 



without disks : Baniformes- 



nth. disks : Hyleeformes 



Bufoniformes Bufo. 



fBana. 



Discoglossus. 



Pelodytes. 



Alytes. 



Pelobates. 



Bombinator. 



Hyla. 



ch i present 



P 



GLOSSA 



P «™°| present: (J±32£J-— * »* 



Tympanum 



\ pres< 



[ die 



_ ontna 



sterni I p resent -.Banina 

 dilated at the end . Hyloidea 



Pelobatoidea\^ elol i a - teS l 



(Bombinator. 



I Bufo. 



(Alytes. 

 Bana 

 Hyla. 



