12 



438) cooked and ate one, and reported it as excellent. The animal 

 might, therefore, possibly be made useful, if people could overcome their 

 prejudices. 



The Water-dog has the power of enduring long periods of cold and 

 hunger. Kneelaud reports having specimens for three months in water 

 that froze more or less every night. 



Dr. C. O. Whitman states that the egg of Nedurus is about the size of 

 a pea, and, unlike the eggs of most batrachians, it has no pigment to 

 obscure the processes of development. It forms an admirable object for 

 the study of batrachian development. 



Large numbers of the Nectunis are found in the streams emptying into 

 Lake Michigan and along the shores of the lake. At Ecorse, Michigan, 

 2,000 were taken in a minnow seine at one haul. It is stated that some 

 of these were so gorged with white fish spawn that when they were 

 thrown on shore the spawn flew out of their mouths. Another man, 

 according to Professor J. W. Milner (Report of the United States Fish 

 Commission, 1872-3, p. 62), had out, at Evanston, Illinois, 900 fish- 

 hooks, and from these, in one day, he took bOO of the "lizards." 

 Milner states that they make no more attempt to'bite than does a frog. 

 A full series was collected from the Detroit River of specimens ranging 

 from an inch and a half to full grown. About the middle of July eggs 

 were taken. 



Family III. AMPHIUMIDiE. 



Body elongated and eel-like. Limbs two pairs, feebly developed. 

 No external gills in adult stage. Tail well developed. Skull long and 

 narrows Maxillaries large, directed backward, toothed. Premaxillaries 

 united. Vomero-palatines narrow, directed backward nearly parallel 

 with axis of head. No true ethmoid. • 



A family containing a single genus. 



Genus AMPHIUMA, Garden. 



Amphivma, Garden, 1821, 9S, i, 599 ; Boulenger, 1882, 28, 82 ; Cope, 

 1889, 51, 215. 



Limbs very feebly developed ; digits two or three on each. A single 

 branchial slit on each side the neck. Teeth of maxillary and vomero- 

 palatine in two parallel, backwardly directed series along each upper 

 jaw. Premaxillaries united ; developed from a single center ; sending 

 back two strong processes, one in roof of mouth, the other between 

 nasals and frontals on the upper surface of the snout. 



Contains but a single species, confined to North America. 



