Hurter — Herpetology of Missouri. 97 



pollywogs and tadpoles. These are fish-like, living in water, in which 

 they swim with the aid of a tail, and breathing by means of branchiae. 

 Instead of teeth they possess horny jaws. At this stage of their lives 

 they subsist chiefly on vegetable substances, such as filamentous Algae, 

 diatoms, desmids, etc. (Garman.) 



The Salientia may be divided into three suborders, viz., 

 Aglossa, Linguata, and Costata. Of these only the Lin- 

 guata are represented in Missouri. 



Suborder LINGUATA. 



Salientia having a tongue; eustachian tubes with two pharyngeal 

 openings; lacking ribs and transverse process to urostyle. Larvae with 

 one spiraculum on left side only. (Stejneger.) 



Key to the Families of Salientia. 



Clavicles and coracoid of each side connected by an arched car- 

 tilage; that of the one side overlapping that of the other. 

 (Arcifera.) 

 Upper jaw without teeth; digits without disks. 



Bufonidae. 

 Upper jaw furnished with teeth. 



Form frog-like, toes and fingers with disks. 



Hylidae. 

 Form toad-like; digits without disks. 



Scaphiopodidae. 



Clavicles and coracoid of the one side firmly connected with those 



of the other side by means of a narrow median cartilage. 



{Firmisternia.) 



Upper jaw with teeth. Ranidae. 



Upper jaw without teeth. Engystomatidae. 



Family Bufonidae. 



Both upper and lower jaws destitute of teeth. Vomerine teeth 

 usually absent. The diapophysis of the sacral vertebrae more or less 

 expanded. Vertebrae procoelous. Ribs none. 



Certain characters are very commonly possessed by the Bufonidae. 

 Among these are a heavy squat form, short limbs, a rough, warty skin, 

 and a collection of integumentary glands lying behind the head, and 

 known as the parotoids. (Hay.) 



No vomerine teeth. Tympanum distinct or hidden. Toes webbed; 

 fingers free. Sacral diapophysis more or less dilated. Outer meta- 

 tarsals united. (Hay.) 



