167 



AMPHIBIA. 



AMPHIUIA. 



m 



the anterior frontal bone*. The apophyses ruing from the inter- 

 maxillary bane* are very large, which placet the external osseous 

 nostril* very far apart. The nasal bone is placed on the upper part 

 of each of them, between the intermaxillary, the frontal, the anterior 

 frontal, and the maxillary bone*. The anterior frontal bone oocupie* 

 the cheek in front of the anterior angle of the orbit, but doe* not 

 descend into the cavity, the anterior wall of which is simply mem- 

 branous Curier believed that he saw a very small lachrymal bone at 

 the external angle of the anterior frontal bone. The dental part of 

 the upper maxillary bone is carried backward* an usual, but without 

 forming a junction with either the pterygold or jugal bones. 'uvier 

 found only two occipital bones, as in the other Batrachians, and each 

 of them was intimately united with a part analogous to the os petrosum 

 (nxrA/r). A great round hole serves for the entry to the vestibule, and 

 consequently to the fenestra ovalis. In the living animal it is closed 

 by a cartilaginous plate, without any stem, and entirely hidden under 

 the muscles. To this bone, which occupies the place of both the occi- 

 pital, lateral, and petrous bones, are attached three others, the lower of 

 which (the pterygoid), with its triangular figure, brings to the mind 

 of the observer the three branches of which it a formed in the frogs. 

 Its anterior angle, as has been stated, does not reach the maxillary 

 bone, and is only connected to it by a ligament ; neither does the 

 internal angle reach the sphenoid bone : the external angle exists 

 under the second of the three bones here noticed, namely, the inter- 

 mediate bone that to which belongs the facet for the articulation of 

 the jaw. This bone, Cuvier remarks, is very difficult to define ; and 

 he further says that he shall perhaps be considered very rash if he 

 names it the jugal bone, for, far from being placed horizontally, and 

 going forwards to join the maxillary, it lies transversely on the 

 posterior border of the pterygoid bone; nevertheless, there is a 

 ligament which unites it to the posterior point of the maxillary bone. 

 The third and upper of these bones lies upon the preceding, and in 

 the same direction; it is oblong and flat, and is attached by ito 

 internal extremity upon the lateral occipital bone, without reaching 

 to the parietal Supposing the jugal bone to be well named, this 

 would be the tympanic bone ; and, in fact, if the little plate which 

 covers the fenestra ovalis had a handle (maiwhr), it would pass behind 

 the bone of which we speak, as in the frogs it passes behind the 

 tympanic bone. 



Below there is only a single sphenoid bone, which is oblong. Two 

 large triangular bones, which are manifestly analogous to those named 

 vomers by Cuvier in the frogs, form the flooring of the nostrils below, 

 and give off each a slender apophysis, which extends backwards under 

 the sphenoid parallel to its correspondent. It is to these bones and 

 to their apophysea that the two longitudinal rows of the palatal teeth 

 of the Salamanders adhere. Between the anterior part of these bones, 

 behind the intermaxillaries, is a large oval space, which is filled by 

 the membrane of the palate only ; their posterior and dentary 

 ap-'physis extends nearly as far backwards as the sphenoid bone. 

 Perhaps, observes Cuvier, it is divided at certain periods into two by 

 a suture, and a palatine bone may then be distinguished, but he had 

 not been able to perceive one. There is in the orbit,. at its anterior 

 wall, a great membranous space between the maxillary bone, the 

 anterior frontal, and the vomer ; and it is at the bottom of this space, 

 and in a notch of the vomer, that the internal nostril is pierced on 

 each side. The bottom of the orbit, on the side of the cranium, 

 between the frontal and parietal bones on one side, and the vomer and 

 sphenoidal bones on the other, is occupied by an oblong bone in which 

 the optic hole is pierced, and which can only answer to the orbital 

 wing of the sphenoidal bone. It is this part which is membranous 

 in the frogs, and has no existence in the serpents, in which the parietal 

 and frontal bones each supply it by halves ; here it is elevated to the 

 state of a particular bone. The two occipital condyles are very much 

 separated from each other, and placed at the two sides of the occipital 

 bole. 



The cranium of the European Aquatic Salamanders differs in general 

 from that of the Terrestrial in having the entire head more oblong, 

 the external nostrils more approximated, the space between the 

 Tomere a simple small hole, the pterygoid bone a mere plate, wide 

 behind and pointed before, Ac. They also differ among themselves. 



The oe hyoides is subject to changes in the Salamanders, ax itt the 

 frog. In its larva state it has two hyoidian branches springing from the 

 occipital bones, uniting forwards under the lower jaw, and a cartila- 

 ginous branchial apparatus suspended at the point of union of those 

 branches, and supporting four arches on each side, the first of which is 

 attached to an intermediate stem, the three following to a second two- 

 jointed stem, and these two pairs of stems to an unequal branch, as is 

 more clearly manifested in the Arolotl, The adult Aquatic Salamanders 

 preserve in the bony state the branches which still are attached below 

 the fenestra ovalis, and terminate forward by a truncation under the 

 middle of the lower jaw ; but the anterior articulation of these branches 

 is now become membranous. The unequal stem, in the bony state, 

 supports on each side an osseous branch consisting of two joints, 

 terminated by a cartilaginous point, and moreover, internally, another 

 branch which is simple and reduced to a filament, which goes from the 

 unequal stem to the second articulation of the external branch. In 

 the Terrestrial Salamander, which can only pass a very short time in 

 the larva state, all remains cartilaginous. The two suspensive branches 



or anterior horns are delicate and flat, and do not join the cranium ; 

 and the unequal stem with its two branches soldered on each aide by 

 their two ends, forms only a single chevron-shaped cartilage, each branch 

 f which is pierced with a considerable gap. This remainder or vestige 

 of the bronchial apparatus does not prevent the co-existence of a larynx 

 iiiul tin- ni.lim.-nt of a sternum ; Imth indeed weak and membranous 

 i.,tln-i- than cartilaginous. The shoulder of the Salamander is very 

 curious on account of the close junction of ite three bones into a single 

 one, which has the glenotd fosset at its anterior edge, sends towards the 

 spine a square lobe slightly enlarged above, which is the omoplate, and 

 towards the breast a rOODMd disk, slightly lobated, which is composed 

 of the clavicle and coracold bone, where a suture which separates them 

 may for a long time be observed, and where there always remains a 

 small hole. The omoplate has its spinal edge augmented by a cartila- 

 ginous prolongation. The cleido-coracoid is also surrounded with a 

 great cartilaginous blade in form of a crescent, which crosses upon its 

 congener under the breast; for the only vestige of a sternum ran 

 is a cartilaginous blade placed behind the two preceding, and which 

 represent* the xiphoid. The atlas of the Salamander i m-ti 

 with the head by two' concave facets, and with the second vertebra by 

 the face of its body, which is also concave ; for, contrary to the case 

 of the frogs and lizards, all the anterior faces of the bodies of the 

 vertebra: are convex in the Salamanders, and all the posterior faces 

 concave; the upper part is flat. The articular apophyses are horizontal, 

 and united on each side by a crest, which, joined to that of the othi -r 

 side, gives to the vertebra a sort of roof which is rectangular, but wit h 

 its lateral borders a little re-entering. The posterior parts of a vertebra 

 lie on the anterior parts of that which follows it. lu lieu of spiinm* 

 apophyses, there is only a slight appearance of a longitudin al 

 The body of the vertebra, which is cylindrical and narrowed 

 middle, adheres under the roof above noticed. The transverse apophyses 

 also adhere under the lateral crests, are directed slightly backwards, 

 and divided by a furrow on each of their faces, so that their ext : 

 has as it were two tubercles for carrying those into which the base of 

 the small rib is divided. These small ribs adjoin all the cervical, dorsal, 

 and lumber vertebrae, except the atlas, but are only two or three lines in 

 length, and are far from surrounding the trunk or reaching the sternum. 

 Among the Aquatic Salamanders, the Triton Gantri has the crest of t In- 

 dorsal vertebra; more elevatedand sharp than the Terrestrial Salamander; 

 this crest is also rather more developed in Triton alptttrit, and cvru in 

 Triton punctaiits and Triton pal ma tut ; but what, adds Cuvier, is very 

 singular, it is precisely in Triton erittatiu that this crest is most effaced, 

 and the upper part of the vertebra nearly plain. The vertebra; of tin- 

 tail (25 or 26 in number) in the Terrestrial Salamander have crests and 

 transverse apophyses like those of the back ; they become smaller and 

 smaller, and, counting from the third caudal, there is under the K.-dy 

 a transverse blade directed obliquely backwards, pierced with a hole :it 

 its base, which represents the chevron-bones of the lizards and the 

 other long-tailed genera. Cuvier counted 33 caudal verteln-.e in the 

 Triton alpettru and Triton criftattu, 34 in Triton (ittneri 

 Triton punctatiu. They form, he observes, a tail flattened laterally, in 

 consequence of the elevation of their upper and lower crests. The 

 bones of the limbs are, says Cuvier in continuation, proportioned to 

 the smallness of the members themselves. The humerus has. 

 a round head ; a little lower, forwards, there is a compressed and obtuse 

 tuberosity; and backwards, a little lower still, another YCT\ | 

 one. Its lower head is flattened from before backwards, and 

 to suit the condyles, between which is an articular head, round.., 1 for 

 the fore-arm, and above, forwards, a small fosset. The Aquatic Sala- 

 mander has this bone more widened above than the Terrestrial species. 

 The fore-arm is composed of two separate bones. The radius has a 

 round upper head, a narrowed body, and a compressed and widened 

 lower head. The cubit is more equal in size, and its olecran. .n 

 short and rounded. The carpus has 5 bones and 2 cartilages which 

 occupy the place of bones, 7 pieces in all : the whole of these are 

 flat, angular, disposed in a pavement-like order, and in some respects 

 announce the structure to be seen in t] In the first 



rank are two, of which the smallest or radial is cartilaginous. The 

 greatest belongs to the radius and ulna; between tin in on tin second 

 nuik is a single one ; then come, on the t hint rank, four for the meta- 

 carpals. The first remains cartilaginous. The metacarpals an- sli..H, 

 flat, and narrowed in their middle. Cuvier found only one phalanx 

 ossified on the first finger, two on the second and fourth. and three on 

 the third. The variety of points by which the pelvi-< i- MH.K 

 the spine is, he remarks, a very singular thing. He had imli\ iduid" "f 

 the Terrestrial Salamander in which it was suspomled IV.. m tin- l.'.th 

 vertebra (counting in the atlas), and others in which it w 

 from the 16th; and he refers to a specimen (species undetermined) 

 seen by M. Schultze, in which it was su-pi-ndi-.l n one rids to the 

 16th vertebra, and on the other to the 17th. With rcgai-d to tin- 

 Aquatic Salamanders, Cm icr found it constantly sus]>eti.Ie. I to tin- 1 111, 

 in Tritim palmatta and 7V/'., /,,,(/;.<, to the 1.1th >< ,,-inin.t 



and Triton (raneri, and to the 17th or 18th in T <.. II. had 



an individual of the last-named species, in which it was suspended on 

 one side to the 17th vertebra, and on tin other t.. tin ]M|I. The 

 pelvis itself is quite differently formed from that of tin- frogs. The 

 vertebra which supports it is like those which precede it, and has, like 

 them, on each side a small rib, at the extremity of which the os ilii is 



