AMPHIBIA. 



{ Batracliia). 



Paired limbs originally adapted for terrestrial life, rarely 

 reduced. Skin glandular. Skull with a large parasphenoid and 

 two condyli occipitales, formed by the exoccipitalia; palato- 

 quadratum coossified with the skull. Usually breathing by gills 

 during the young stages, afterwards by lungs. Heart with one 

 ventricle and two atria. No amnion or allantois. Development 

 with, rarely without metamorphosis. 



Synopsis ofthe Orders. 



A. No limbs I. Gyrnnopliiotia p. I. 



B. Well-developed limbs; no tail II. Anura p. 4. 



I. Order GYMNOPHIONA. 



(Apoda). 



Body worm-shaped; no limbs; tail rudimentary or absent. 

 Usually small osseous scales, hidden in the skin. Eyes rudi- 

 mentary, sometimes covered by cranial bones. Between eye 

 and nostril a retractile tentacle. Tympanum absent. Male with 

 an unpaired copulatory organ (see fig. i). 



Terrestrial, burrowing. Ovi- or viviparous, with or without 

 an aquatic larval stage. Embryo usually with external gills. 



Fam. Caeciliidae. 



Characters of the Order. 



Distribution: tropical parts of America, Africa and Asia. 

 Indo-australian amphibia. I 



