m\ 



IJ 



34 lUILLlCTIN :il, UNUKI) STATIvS NATIONAL Mi:SKUM. 



'|'lK^('iiriliiiln-:nv t:('iifiiillv i.-iiitlcd :is U'|>it'.sciitiii;; ;Mli>t iiicl <»i(l«T, 

 wliidi twar.s tlif i>;iiiirs AimmIii or (;.viiiii<.i.lii(.ii;i. Tlit' .U'liiiilii)ii «ivcii 

 (.•lliisonlciln Mr. I'.oiilcii-t'r* is: "Noliiiibs; t;iil ni.liiii.'iilitr.v. MaU's 

 witiiiiii iiiliomilH'iil cnpiiliilorv «>r;;aii. Adiiplnl lor hm rowing;.'' Of 

 tlifS(.<I('liiiitiuiis none is of (.nliiial value. The tail in some 8|M'ci*\s is 

 •listiiict. The iiitniiiiitti'til eopiilatory (Uj^aii in Ihriiiopliis me.ncanHs, 

 (li/miioiiis i)r(>.riniiisy,\ui\ llcrpdc iwhrturjihuJa is not an espeeial oryaii, 

 but isiiicn'I.v the evoti-d eloaca. The hard pai»ilhe observed by (liiii- 

 therf ill i\\o Ichthijophin (jUttinniiVs are \vaIltill^' in tln^ above speeies. 

 The protnisioii of tiie cloaca is eirceted by two espe(!ial inns(des, wliieli 

 are waiitiiii;- in Ainphiiiniida'. Asia limbs, their extremely rndimeut- 

 ary character in Aiiiphinma is well known. To rej^ard tlieir condi- 

 tion as indi('atiii,n' ordinal separation from tlieCariliida' is not in aecord- 

 aiice with our practice in similar cases in tlie l{ei>tilia, as in the oriler 

 Laceitilia. 



1 have endeavored tosnstain the order Gymnophiona by the cliui'acter 

 of the fusion of the nasal and premaxillary bones found in the majorit;* 

 of tlie gonora.J lint Stannius§ shows that these bones are, distinct in 

 Ichthyojilns. Huxley states (Anatomy of Vertcdtrato Animals, p. l").")) 

 that in Jrlifhiiopliis nliidnosKs a distinct bone neaily eneindes the orbit. 

 This he compares to the supra and postorbital i)ones found in the Stej^'o- 

 cepliali. Uur in ("hthon;rpeton, Ca-iiilia, Dermophis, and other genera, 

 this bone forms part of the maxillary, so that it is not (diaraeteristicof the 

 family, and may not be homol(\iions with the bones wliieli occnjty the 

 same position in Stcfioceidmli. Wieder.slieim calls it maxillary. 



With these fact in view I liave united || the Ca'ciT'da' with the L'rodela, 

 a i»roposition which I fully believe to be sustained by the evidence. The 

 Ca'cili'uhv is nfamiUj of I'rnihUt, cniiiiertnl with the typical forms throiiyli 

 the Ampkiiimida'. 



ihwjrophical (listiHiution.''nni distribution of the families of the 

 Urodela and their contents is as follows : None exist in the Australian 

 realm and, exeeptiiij;- some Ca'ciliida', in the Kthioi»ian realm. In tlie 

 Neotropical they are restricted to the Central American ami Mexican 

 districts, with a few species in the northern Andes, and one reputed to 

 be from the West Indian island, Santo Domingo. 



The Ca'ciliida' are more widely distributed, belonging especially to 

 tropical regions. 



•(■al:il(>j,'ii(; of tin- Jh'itisli Miiscuiii, \ri-^, \t. dS. 

 I Kcplilcsof Biiiish India (Kay Society), p. 4!1. 

 ! American Natiiralisr, 18>l, ji. 'JC. 

 v^ Zooloniie (lev Amijliiliicn, lii:A), p. 41. 



il American Naturalist, l^d5, p, ;il4, note, an.l l',ocee,l«. Auut. l-hllu8. Soc, Feb. 

 leoo p. 44'.i, 



ill 



