163 



AMPHIBIA. 



AMPHIBIA. 



106 



Fipa monttrota, Lanrenti (Aiterodaelyliu, Waglcr), Surinam Toad, female, 

 reduced. The upper figure shows the disposition of the cell*, and their situation 

 in the kin, which is turned back, and the muscle Been below. The small sepa- 

 rate figures arc Tadpoles, in different stages of development. 



Oxyrhynchut bicolor. South America. 



Messrs Dume'ril and Bibron (' Erpe'tologie ') make the Bufoniform 

 Family of the Anourous Amphibia (Anoures Phaneroglossea) consist of 

 the following genera : 



Dendrobates, Wagl. (Ilylaplcsia, Boie, Tsohudi.) Example, Dendro- 

 bates tinctorius. (Cayenne.) 



Rhinoderma Dum. and Bibr. Example, Rhinoderma Darwinii. 

 (Chile.) 



Atelopus, Dum. and Bibr. Example, Atelopus flavescens. (Guyana.) 



11/0, Laur. Example, Bufo vulgaris, the Common Toad. (Europe, 

 Japan.) Messrs. Dume'ril and Bibron record 18 species of this 

 genus. 



Phryniscus, Wieg. (Chaunus, Tschudi.) Example, Phryniscus 

 nigricans, Wieg. (Montevideo.) 



Brackycephalus, Fitzing. (Ephippifer, Coot.) Example, JBrachy- 

 cephalus ephippium, Fitzing. (Brazil, Guyana.) 



Jfyl&dactylus, Tschud. Example, Hyltedactylus baleat-us. (Java.) 



fleet ropus, Dum. and Bibr. Example, Plectropus pictm. (Manilla.) 



Engystoma, Fitzing. (Microps, Wagl. ; Stenocephalus, Tschudi.) 

 Example, Engystoma ovate. (Surinam, Buenos Ayres.) 



Uperodon, Dum. and Bibr. Example, Uperodon mannoratw. (Monta- 

 valle, Indian Peninsula.) 



Breviceps, Merrem (Engystoma, part, Fitzing. ; Systoma, Wagl., 

 Tschudi). Example, Breviceps gibboms. (South Africa, near the Cape 

 of Good Hope.) 



Slnnophrynw, Dum. and Bibr. Example, Rhinophrynus dorsalis. 

 (Mexico.) 



Geographical Distribution of the Family. Messrs. Dume'ril and 

 Bibron state that the number of species of the Bufoniform Family 

 known to them (1841) was 35, a much less number than that of the 

 Raniform Family, which includes 51, and less still than the Hyliform, 

 or Tree-Frog Family, which comprises 64. 



Nevertheless, observe these excellent herpetologists, species of this 

 family exist in " all the five parts of the world, where they are 

 distributed in a manner not less unequal than the Raniform and 

 Hyliform species, and always with a greater proportion for America, 

 whilst the smallest portion of them belong to Europe, which has not 

 even a single species peculiar to itself ; for the two there found, the 

 Common Toad and the Green Toad (Bufo viridis, Laur.), also inhabit 

 Africa and Asia, which produce moreover, the one Bufo pantherinus 

 and JBreviceps gMosus, the other Ptectropuspictus, Engystoma ornatmn, 

 Jfyhedattylus baleatus, Uperodon marmoratum, and Bufoncs cnientat'us, 

 neater, biporcatus, iioi, and asper. 



Oceania, which after America is, they observe, best furnished with 

 Hyliform species, and where two of the Ranifonn Family are found, 

 has not hitherto yielded more than a single Bufoniform species, namely, 

 Phryniscus Australis. 



America, besides six species of Bufo, namely, strumosus, melanotis, 

 musicus, Americanus, margaritifer, d'Orbignyi, and Leschenaultii, 

 furnishes Dendrobates tinctori-us, obscurua, and pictus ; Rhinoderma 

 Darwinii; Atelopus jiavescens ; Phryniscus nigricans ; Brachycephalus 

 ephippium ; and Engystomata male., Carolinense, rngosum, and microps. 



Mr. Darwin, speaking of the Fauna of the Galapagos Archipelago, 

 gays : " Of snakes there are several species, but all harmless. Of toads 

 and frogs there are none. I was surprised at this, considering how 

 well the temperate and damp woods in the elevated parts appeared 

 adapted to their habits. It recalled to my mind the singular state- 

 ment made by Bory St. Vincent, namely, that none of this family are 

 to be found on the volcanic islands in the great oceans. There certainly 

 appears to be some foundation for this observation, which is the more 

 remarkable when compared with the case of lizards, which are generally 

 among the earliest colonists of the smallest islet. It may bo asked 

 whether this is not owing to the different facilities of transport through 

 salt-water of the eggs of the latter, protected by a calcareous coat, and 

 of the slimy spawn of the former." ('Journal.') 



URODfcLES, or TAIIED AMPHIBIA. 



Under this designation the following genera are included : Pleuro- 

 deles, Walte. ; Bradybates, Tsch. ; Salamandra, Linn. ; Pse/udosala- 

 mandra, Tsch. ; Ambystoma, Tsch. ; Onychodactylus, Tsch. : Pletkodon, 

 Tsch. ; Cylindrosoma, Tsch. ; CEdipus, Tsch. ; Salamandrina, Fitz. ; 

 Geotriton, Bonap. ; Hemidactylium, Tsch. ; Cynops, Tsch. ; Uynobius, 

 Tsch. ; Pieudotriton, Tsch. ; Triton, Laur. ; Xip/ionura, Tsch. ; 

 Megalobatrachus, Tsch. (Sieboldia, Bonap.) ; Andrias (fossil) Tsch. ; 

 JHenopoma, Harl. ; Siredon, Wagl. (Axolotl) ; Amphiuma, Gard. ; 

 Menobranchus, HarL ; Hypochton, Merr. (Proteus) ; Siren ; and many 

 others. 



Skeleton. The skull of the Terrestrial Salamander (Lacerta Sala- 

 mandra, Linn. ; Salamandra terrestris, Aldr. and Ray) is well described 

 by Cuvier as being nearly cylindrical, widened in front in order to 

 form the semicircular face, and behind for the two crucial branches 

 resembling those of the frogs, and containing the internal ears. But 

 though the compqsition of the head resembles that of the frogs in the 

 back and under parts, it differs remarkably in other parts : there ia 

 no girdling bone (os en ceinture), and the only representation, of the 

 ethmoid bone appears in a membranous state. 



Above, the cranium is divided nearly equally between the two frontal 

 and the two parietal bones. The anterior part of the frontal bones is 

 articulated forwards with the bones of the nose, and, laterally, with 



