BATKACHIANS. 37 



do not properly belong to the Batrachia ; nor is their place in the system as yet 

 quite satisfactorily determined. They seem rather to be a very humble form of 

 reptile ; while the Pscudichthyes should rather be subordinated to the class Pisces : 

 though, as we have seen, there are naturalists who would refer all of the Batrachia 

 to the fish class, certain forms amongst them rising to a parallelism of development 

 with Reptilia, but still not constituting true reptiles. The mode of reproduction 

 especially is in favour of this view. Both Pseudophidia, and Pseudichthyes are inter- 

 tropical or subtropical animals, whereas the rest of the Batrachia Gradientia belong 

 almost exclusively to the northern temperate zone ; any exceptional case occurring 

 probably in very elevated regions. Of sixty-six ascertained species, forty-nine are 

 American, and there are five from Japan, inclusive of the Sieboldtia maxima. But 

 more species have been discovered since the catalogue cited has been drawn up, and 

 of course there must be many yet to be discovered. Five species are referred to the 

 Pseudophidia^ and three only to the Pseudichthyes. ED. 



