New Species of Batracian Reptiles. a 
done, si on vent, porter le nom d’amphibies dans son ac- 
ceptation la plus rigoureuse.”’ (Cuvier Anim. douteux, Voy. 
d’Humboldt. 
In specimens which we subjected to examination, we found 
the lungs and nostrils to exist in a rudimentary state ; the lat- 
ter are small, and barely admit the passage of a very fine 
bristle; the former are of a deep black colour. That the 
larve do not depend altogether upon their branchia for the 
decarbonization of the blood, we were satisfied, by observing 
them to rise frequently to the surface of the water, in order to 
discharge the foul air and to respire: this process was re- 
peated every three or four minutes,- on some occasions, in a 
number of these animals confined in a tub of water.—Accord- 
ing to Swammerdam and Roésal, the branchia of tadpoles are 
exterior and free during the first days of theirexistence. This 
statement was not verified by observations we have made on 
very young tadpoles of this country, in which not the slightest 
vestiges of branchia or of feetare visible. We subjected a num- 
ber of individuals to examination, both with and without the 
ye ’ 
f 
a their colours. The Rana pipiens, or common bull- 
frog, i : 
fie a light ash, or nearly dirty white colour, to a light green 
Vor. < ssNo. L 8 ; 
