Chapter I 



THE ANURA— TAILLESS BATRACHIANS 



This order, containing nearly 1,200 species, is divided 

 up into two sub-orders : (i) the tongued Phaneroglossa, 

 and (2) the tongueless Aglossa. The former is further 

 divided into two series according to the structure of the 

 shoulder girdle, the two halves not being united, but over- 

 lapping in {a) the Arcifera, while in (Z^), the Firmisternia, 

 they are united by cartilage, forming a firm median bridge. 

 The transverse processes of the sacral vertebra (usually the 

 ninth, which suspends the hip-girdle) may be either per- 

 fectly cylindrical or very much dilated, and this character, 

 in conjunction with the presence or absence of teeth in 

 the jaws, is made great use of in the classification of the 

 Anura. 



Sub-order PHANEROGLOSSA --Series I— Firmis- 



TERNIA. 



In the family Ranidce, the true frogs, which are dis- 

 tributed throughout the world, with the exception of the 

 southernmost parts of South America, nearly the whole of 

 Australia, and New Zealand, the upper jaw is toothed, 

 and the transverse processes of the sacral vertebrae are not 

 dilated. 



In the type genus Rana, represented by over one hundred 



and fifty species, the tongue is deeply notched and free 



200 



