230 VERTEBRATE ANIMALS. 



near approach to the Lizards is made by the Land-salamanders, 

 the young of which have sometimes lost their gills before 

 birth. 



ORDER III. ANOURA or THERIOMORPHA (Gr. ther, a beast ; 

 and morphe, shape). This order is the highest of the Am- 

 phibia, and comprises the Frogs and Toads. It is sometimes 

 known by the name of JBatrachia (Gr. batrachos, a frog), or 

 Anoura (Gr. a, without; our a, a tail), the latter name being 

 derived from the fact that the adults are " tailless." 



The tailless Amphibia or Theriomorpha are characterized 

 by the fact that while the larva possesses a tail, and is fur- 

 nished with gills, the adult has no tail, and breathes wholly 

 by lungs. Both pairs of limbs are always developed in the 

 full-grown animal, and the hind-limbs are usually considerably 

 longer than the fore-limbs, and generally have the toes 

 webbed, while those of the fore-limbs are free. The skin is 



FIG. 114. Anoura. Tree-frog (Hyla leucotcenia), (After Gunther.) 



soft, and there are rarely any traces of any integumentary 

 skeleton. The spinal column (Fig. 114) is short ; the dorsal 

 vertebrae are very long ; and the ribs are quite rudimentary, 

 their place being taken by greatly-developed transverse pro- 

 cesses. The bodies of the vertebrae are hollow in front and 

 convex behind (proccelous). The bones of the forearm (radius 

 and ulna), and those of the shank (tibia &ud fibula), are united 

 together to form single bones. The upper jaw is usually fur- 



