Feel —a 
24 REPTILES AND BIRDS. 
recognised species. The class Amphibia is divided by Dr. Gray into five orders, 
viz., Batrachia, Pseudosauria, Pseudopkidia, Pseudichthyes, and Meaniia. Ob 
these the first; or the Aatrachia, are divided into the sub-orders Salientia and 
Graduntia, the latter consisting of three families, Salamandridc, Molgide, and 
Plethodontide. The second order, Pseudosauria, comiprises the families Protonop- 
side (which contains the Steboldtia maxima) and Amphiumide. The third order, 
Pseudophidia, consists of only one family, Ceciliide. ‘The fourth order, Pseudich- 
thyes, also contains one family only, the Lefidostrenide. The fifth order, A/eantia 
comprises the two families Proteide and Sirenide. ‘Twenty-four ascertained 
apecies dre distributed amoiigst the last four of these orders; but the limits of this 
work do not permit of a more detailed notice of these various groups of Hatrachia 
Gradienta. More recently, Dr. Giinther, in his work on the Reptiles of the Indian 
egion, has pointed out certain structural characters connected with the generative 
system which show that the Pseudophidia (lo not properly belong to the 
Latrachia; nor is their place in the system as yet quite satisfactorily determined. 
They seem rather to be a very humble form of Reptile; while the Pseudichthyes 
should rather be subordinated to the class Pisces: though, as we have seen, there 
are naturalists who would refer all of the Batrachia to the Fish class, certain forms 
amongst them rising toa parallelism of development with feftidia, but still not 
constituting true reptiles. The mode of reproduction especially is in favour of 
this view. Both Pseudophidia and Pseudichthyes are intertropical or subtropical 
animals, whereas the rest of the Batrachia Gradientia belong almost exclusively to 
the northern temperate zone, any exceptional case occurring probably in very - 
elevated regions. Of sixty-six ascertained species, forty-nine are American, and 
there are five from Japan, inclusive of the Szelo/dtia maxima. But more species 
have been discovered since the catatogue cited has been drawn up, and of course 
there must be many yet to be discovered. Five species are referred to the 
Pseudophidia, and three only to the Pseudichthyes.—ED. 
