422 GEOGRAPHICAL ZOOLOGY. [part iv. 



The Pipidse are toads without a tongue or maxillary teeth, and 

 with enormously dilated sacrum. The only species of Pipa is a 

 native of Guiana. 



i.a.3 — - 



The Dactylethridse are Toads with maxillary teeth but no 

 tongue, and with enormously dilated sacrum. The species of 

 Dactylethra are natives of West, East, and South Africa. 



General Remarks on the Distribution of the Amphibia. 



The Amphibia, as here enumerated, consist of 22 families, 

 152 genera, and nearly 700 species. Many of the families have a 

 very limited range, only two (Ranida3 and Polypedatidse) being 

 nearly universal ; five more extend each into five regions, wliile 

 no less than thirteen of the families are confined to one, two, or 

 three regions each. By far the richest region is the Neotropical, 

 possessing 16 families (four of them peculiar) and about 50 

 peculiar or very characteristic genera. Next comes the Austra- 

 lian, with 11 families (one of which is peculiar) and 16 pecu- 

 liar genera. The Nearctic region has no less than 9 of the 

 families (two of them peculiar to it) and 15 peculiar genera, 

 13 of which are tailed Batrachians which have here their 

 metropolis. The other three regions have 9 families each ; 

 the Palaearctic has no peculiar family but no less than 15 

 peculiar genera ; the Ethiopian 1 family and 12 genera peculiar 

 to it; and the Oriental, 19 genera but no family confined to it. 



It is evident, therefore, that each of the regions is well 

 characterised by its peculiar forms of Amphibia, there being 

 only a few genera, such as ITijla, Rana, and Bnfo which have a 

 wide range. The connection of the Australian and Neotropical 



