CH API: ye. 
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF 
BATRACHIANS. 
HE Batrachians are exceedingly interesting creatures, and 
8 most of them will live for a very long time in a properly- 
arranged Vivarium. As a rule, they are more easily 
provided with food than are many of the Reptiles, and they do 
not require so much artificial heat, when any, as the latter 
animals. 
Formerly, as already mentioned, Batrachians were included 
among the Reptiles ; now they are placed in a class by themselves, 
which is divided into the following four orders : 
(1) Eeaudata, or Anoura.—The Batrachians which absorb the 
tail of tadpolehood before they reach maturity, and may, therefore, 
be described as tailless Batrachians, such as are frogs and toads. 
(2) Caudata, or Urodela.—The Batrachians which retain the 
tail throughout life, e.g., Newts and Salamanders. 
(3) Apoda, or Ophiomorpha.—The limbless or Snake-like Bat- 
rachians, for example, the Coecilians. 
(4) Stegocephala, or Labyrinthodonta.—The Batrachians of 
this order are extinct ; but their remains are found from time to 
time. They generally possessed a long tail and four limbs. Some 
of them reached an enormous size, and the beautiful and curious 
structure of their teeth has given them the name of Labyrintho- 
donts. 
