THE SKELETAL ANATOMY OF AMPHIUMA DUR- 

 ING ITS EARLIER STAGES. 



By O. p. hay. 



In the American Naturalist, Vol. XXII (1888), p. 315, the 

 writer has published an account of the finding of the eggs of 

 AnipJiiuma, and accompanied it with a short description of the 

 anatomy of the embryos contained in those eggs. In the 

 present paper it is proposed to enter somewhat more into details 

 in describing the structure of the skeleton of the young AnipJii- 

 uma and to illustrate the descriptions by drawings. 



As stated in the communication referred to, these eggs were 

 found in a cypress swamp at Little Rock, Ark., on Sept. i, 

 1887. They had been deposited in a small excavation under 

 an old log, which was lying at a distance of some rods from the 

 nearest water ; and were being cared for by the mother, who 

 was lying coiled up around them. The mass of eggs was about 

 as large as one's fist, and, being connected in strings, they 

 greatly resembled a mass of large beads. When the eggs were 

 put into alcohol, the young were seen to move about within the 



eggs. 



The egg-strings were so entangled that it was found to be im- 

 possible to separate them, for the purpose of determining the 

 number of strings and of eggs. However, since there were four 

 ends visible, it is supposed that there were two strings, one for 

 each oviduct. The number of eggs is estimated to be at least 

 one hundred and fifty. They are globular in form, and have an 

 average diameter of 9 mm. (See Fig. i.) They are separated by 

 from 5 to 12 mm. of string. Fourteen eggs were counted on a 

 piece of string 225 mm. in length. Each ^^g, in the condition 

 in which they were discovered, consists of the contained larva 

 and an external capsule. This latter is of a condensed gelati- 

 nous material, thin as paper, becoming brittle in strong alcohol, 

 but swelling somewhat in weaker alcohol and in water. The 

 connecting cords are of the same materials, and have a diameter 



