DATRACHIA. 



307 



narea, and probably reached the pharyngeal cavity. The animal was said to have 

 suffered an absorjition of the gills, which lasted two weeks, during which time it would 

 take no food ; but I suspected they had been nibl)led off by some sun-fish {Pomotis), 

 confined in the same aquarium, who, attracted by their rosy color, thought them lawful 

 prey. There were very small stumps remaining, of which the two anterior, seventeen 

 days after my first observation, developed a minute brown fringe on the under side. 

 Twenty-four days later, the stumps were longer, and the two anterior now bore a 

 double series of processes, which were of a rosy slate color. The animal still came 

 to the surface for air, and disliked excessively to be removed from the water. It 

 measured nine inches and three quarters in length, and was at first pale brown, with 



Fig. 174. — Neclunis viarulatus, menobranclms. 



numerous black dots above, and pale slate below, Init became darker, and the spots 

 larger. There was a golden band on the side of the lip and ' cheek,' and the toes 

 were tipped with a corneous cajj. 



Order VII. — URODELA. 



This order (which embraces the salamanders) is confined to the northern hemi- 

 sphere, except that two or three species extend south of the equator in the 

 Andes. Perhaps a dozen species are found in Mexico and Central America ; and 

 of the remaining species the greater number are found in North America. The fami- 

 lies and the distribution of their species are as follows : — 



