SEPTEMBER 17, 1897. ] 
biological attributes of the class (‘aliis metamor- 
phosin subire’). But however this may be, the 
name was first limited to the forms undergoing 
metamorphosis by De Blainyille, and there is no 
reason why that restriction ion not be re- 
spected. 
The name Batraciens, or Batrachia, was given 
as an ordinal name. It was not used as a class 
name till long after Amphibia had been duly 
restricted to the class still so called. 
If the name Batrachia were usable at all it 
should only be as an ordinal designation, as 
Huxley has done. But it cannot be legiti- 
mately used as such, because many years before 
the name Salientia had been introduced by 
Laurenti for the same order, and most of the 
best herpetologists of the present time (Cope, 
Boulenger, et al.), have revived or accept the 
name for the order so designated. 
The name Amphibia was first used as a class 
name by Linnzus for a group which was cer- 
tainly very heterogeneous, inasmuch as it in- 
eluded not only the typical Amphibians and 
reptiles, but also the Marsipobranchs and Sela- 
chians, as well as certain true fishes (Lophius, 
Acipenser, etc.). The class was divested of the 
fish-like forms by the editor of the Systema 
Naturz (Gmelin, 1788), and with these limits it 
was long retained. 
The essential point in the case under consid- 
eration is that Linnzeus first recognized a class 
intermediate between fishes and birds, whose 
typical representatives pass part of their life in 
water and part on land, and the apt name Am- 
phibia was given to that class. (The name is 
eminently suggestive and expressive for the 
class as now limited.) Batrachia was given 
long afterwards both as an ordinal and class des_ 
ignation. (The name is quite inapt for many 
of the species.) 
THEO. GILL. 
SURVIVAL OF THE ART OF ILLUMINATING 
MANUSCRIPTS AMONG THE GERMANS 
IN EASTERN PENNSYLYANIA. 
Among the interesting objects included in the 
collection of tools, utensils and paraphernalia, 
representing the life of the American pioneer, 
recently made for the Historical Society of 
Bucks County, Pennsylvania, two curious 
SCIENCE. 
447 
paint boxes, for a time defying explanation, 
have at last led to an interesting observation. 
By degrees, after a series of investigations, be- 
ginning on August 20th, I learned that these 
boxes had contained, in their wooden compart- 
ments, the paints and colored inks by which 
the masters of the German schools in upper 
Bucks County (discontinued about 1850), 
taught the art of Fractur, or illuminative hand- 
writing done in colors for permanent preserva- 
tion. The liquid colors mixed in whiskey were 
contained in the little glass bottles still occupying 
their pigeon holes in one of the boxes. Other 
bottles contained inks, and one the varnish, 
consisting of the gum of the cherry tree diluted 
in water. A long compartment held the brushes 
and quill pens. 
With these implements the masters of Frac- 
tur, generally Mennonites (who sometimes in- 
structed pupils in the art as an addition to the 
ordinary tuition of a schoolmaster), illuminated 
the title pages of numerous Mennonite manu- 
script song books still extant in the county, 
produced elaborate title pages for Bibles, name 
cards, marriage and death registers, and Scrip- 
tural texts. A striking example in the posses- 
sion of Henry K. Gross, of Doylestown, is a 
transcription of the 18th verse of the 19th 
chapter of John with decorated letters and 
floriated capitals in red, green, brown, blue 
and black, set above a bar of music, and 
twelve lines of cursive manuscript, upon which 
are placed two birds in red, green and black. 
A pious admonition in red and black text edges 
transversely the left end, while the lower mar- 
gin is filled with an alphabet in various text. 
The borders are floriated and plain red or blue. 
Further examplesare: A, Title page to Church 
song book (Lieder Buch, printed in German- 
town, by Michael Villmeyer, in 1811), name 
Susanna Fretz upon heart, from which springs 
a tree with conventional tulips; deep beaded 
borderings, 1814, colors red, brown, yellow and 
black, red predominant. B, Title page to manu- 
script song book, name Susanna Fretz (spelled 
Fretzin for feminine) in red circle with date 
1810; stalks with black leaves and conven- 
tional tulips to right and left; foliated border 
with red leaves on black and yellow ground. 
C, Title page to manuscript hymnbook; name, 
