'M, 



THE BATRACIIIA OF NORTH AMERICA. 



215 



as well. Tlioy arc unique in the i)resen<;e of only one ceratobranchial, 

 Necturus only a[)i)roa(niin};' it in this respect. In the absence of the 

 second basibranchial it aj;rees with Cryptobrauchus, aiul approaches 

 the rsemlosiiuria, wliere a part of it <MiIy remains. It also agrees with 

 ( 'ryptobranchus in the absence or confluence of the first epibranchial 

 and in the i)resence of the three succeeding epibranchials. 



This family is only known from Is'oith AnuMica. 



There is but one genus of this family, which is defined :..? follows: 



A itli!ir,vii;;t'iil slit on the sidcof tlio iii'dv ; voiiu'viiio tcclli in aiitcro-iiostrrior series ; 

 IK) scalt's; limits iinicli reduced; di<;its, f wo or tliree on eaidi tool ; prefrontal and 

 nasal liones present; a t<-niporal erest ; palatine hone not inelosin^ choana- pos- 

 teriorly; preniaxillary hones eoi'Msilied 'mpliiitma. 



AMPIIIUMA (larden. 



Smith's Corres)>nndenee ol" Unna-ns, i. )>. fill'.* ; Waf^ler, Systenia Am- 

 phih., IKin, p. •j:i;t; Tschndi, Itutr.. )-^>'.K p. tlT ; (Jray, Cat. Hatr. 

 Grail. I?rit. Mns., .V.; Diim., Mihr., ix, p )>0\ ; Honlenjjer, Cat. 

 IJatr. (Jrad. IJril. Mus., ed. II, p. "^J ; h'yder, I'roeeeds. Aead. 

 I'hila., 187'.), p. II; (.'ope, I'roeeeds. Anier. I'hilo.soph. >Soc. 

 ISSC), p. Wi. 



Chnjtiodnnia Milchill, Medical Keeorder, l^JH-J, p. :>2d. 

 Siriiioiih^ Kit/. , Syst. K'eittil. 18','(!, ]). M. 

 ^fll|■|lH0|lxi1 l'"ilz., /. c. ; Gray, /. r. 



The only portion of the shoidder girdle of this genus which is o.ssified 

 is the scapula. The <'ora<'oid (iartilages of oi)i)osite sides are distinct 

 fnun each othei-, and there is a produ(!tion of the precoracoid region 

 The hunuMiis i.s truncate at both extremities, making its articulations 

 with cartilage only. The carpus is cartilaginous. The osscus ilium 

 is quite short and slendei'; it has a long supcricu" cartilaginous portion, 

 which is attached to an cipially long cartilaginous sacral rib. The 

 iid'erior element is an undivided plale, which is wider than long, and 

 pn'sents an obtuse angle anteriorly. The posterior portion of eacih 

 is occupied by a rouml <liscoid ctssificalion. which forms the posteri(»r 

 border, but docs not reach either the acetabulum or its fellow. The 

 femur is rather long and has a distinc;! trochanti-r, but no head or con- 

 <lyles. The arti(Mdations are (tarlilaginous, as is the tarsus, whi(th is 

 also undivided. The tiliia and fibula are about one-sixth the length of 

 the femur, and the fibula is a little shorter and more slender than the 

 tibia. The i>lialanges in both feet are well ossified. 



The general character of these parts are desi^rilu'd in Stannius' [Tand- 

 bu(rh (h'r Zoiilogie, but only as included in ihed<>linitions of the (uder 

 to which Amphiuma is ref'erre<l. 



I'rofessor li'yder demonslrat<'d the identity of this genus and Munrn- 

 njniis. 



The range of this genus is the Austnuiparian region. It has not been 

 found west of Louisiana, nor in the Mississippi valley north of Ar- 

 kansas. It oc(!urs in the Floridau district. 



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