180 AMPHIBIA 



region consisting of Africa, India and tropical Asia and the 

 Malay Archipelago. The chief characteristic of the Periarctic 

 region is the abundance of Urodela which are almost peculiar 

 to this region and may therefore be considered to have been 

 evolved within it. There are no Apoda. The characteristic 

 Anurous groups are Discoglossidae, Pelobatidae, Bufonidae and 

 Ranidae. The region can be divided into the Western Palae- 

 arctic, eastern Palaearctic or northern Asia, and Nearctic or 

 North America. The eastern Palaearctic shows resemblances 

 to the Nearctic in the presence of Amphiumidae and Ambly- 

 stomatinae, while Salamandrinae are peculiar to Europe. The 

 Palaeotropical region is characterised by the absence of Urodela 

 except one species of Amblystoma which occurs in Siam and 

 Burma, while the other species of the genus are American ; by 

 the presence of Apoda, and by the great predominance of 

 Firmisternia. Cystignathidae are absent as from the whole of 

 Notogaea, and of Hylidae only two occur in the Himalayas 

 which properly may be considered to belong to the Periarctic 

 region. The Amphibian fauna of Madagascar is peculiar in 

 several respects. It differs from both Africa and India in the 

 entire absence of Apoda, of Aglossa and of Bufonidae. The 

 Malay Islands, Papuasia, and Melanesia agree with India and 

 differ from Africa in the possession of Pelobatidae, and with 

 southern Asia in the possession of several genera of Raninae ; 

 these islands must therefore with respect to Amphibia be con- 

 sidered to belong to the Palaeotropical region and not to the 

 Australian. 



All Amphibia in the adult state are carnivorous. The 

 aquatic forms, such as the perennibranchiate Urodela and 

 aquatic Anura, devour Crustacea, small fishes, worms, insects, 

 and in the case of large species such as Necturus, frogs. 

 The larvae, as in the case of the tadpoles of the common 

 frog, on the other hand, are largely herbivorous, but it is a 

 common mistake to suppose that they are entirely so : they 

 eat carrion and, especially in the later stages of development, 

 do not thrive without animal food such as pieces of meat. 

 The terrestrial forms live on worms, insects, snails, and the 

 larger forms will devour other Amphibia smaller than them- 

 selves: the American bull-frog preys to a great extent on 

 smaller frogs. The teeth are not of very great importance in 



