Animals Before Man 



It is a little difficult to suggest the appear- 

 ance of these labyrinthodonts, for they were 

 neither gigantic frogs nor overgrown salaman- 

 ders, though more like the latter than the 

 former. The figure on plate III gives a good 

 idea of one of these animals, only it is neces- 

 sary to remember that the creature was from 

 6 to possibly 10 feet long. 



The largest amphibian now living is the 

 great salamander of Japan, which sometimes 

 attains a length of four feet ; so it may be read- 

 ily seen that, so far as size is concerned, amphib- 

 ians have declined sadly. Moreover, this Japa- 

 nese salamander is merely an enlarged repro- 

 duction of our familiar mud-puppy,* common 

 in some streams west of the Alleghanies so 

 that it is not more remarkable for looks than 

 it is for size. Still, looks and size are not every- 

 thing, and these recent salamanders are not 

 without their importance, for they are the last 

 of a group not uncommon in Europe during 



* Cryptobranchus alleghaniensis, the generic name, hidden gills, 

 being an allusion to the fact that while this salamander has per- 

 manent gills and is a water-breather, the gills are concealed be- 

 neath a flap of skin. 



126 



