ANOURA. 



349 



Oeningen. This singular fossil was described by its original 

 discoverer as human, under the name of Homo diluvii testis ; 

 but it is really the skeleton of a Salamandroid of large size. 

 It is very closely allied to the Giant Salamander (Menopoma, 

 or Sieboldia, maxima] of Java/ 



ORDER II. ANOURA ( = Batrachia, Huxley ; Theriomorpha, 

 Owen ; Chdonobatrachia, &c.) This order includes the Frogs 

 and Toads, and is perhaps best designated by the name of 

 Anoura, or "Tail-less" Amphibians. The name Batrachia, 

 employed by Huxley, is inexpedient, partly because it is used 

 by Owen to designate the entire class Amphibia, and partly 

 because, in common language, it is usual to understand by a 

 " Batrachian" any of the higher Amphibians; such, for instance, 

 as a Labyrinthodont. 



The Anoura, or Tail-less Amphibians, are characterised by 

 the following points : The adult is destitute of both gills and 

 tail, both of which structures exist in the larva, whilst the two 

 pairs of limbs are always present. The skin is soft, and there 

 are rarely any traces of an exoskeleton. The dorsal vertebrae 

 are "procoelous " or concave in front, and are furnished with 



Fig. 308. Skeleton of the common Frog (Rana temporaria). d Dorsal vertebrae, 

 with long transverse processes. 



long transverse processes, which take the place of ribs, which 

 are only present in a rudimentary form. The radius and ulna 

 in the fore-limb, and the tibia and fibula in the hind-limb, are 



